Spanish soldier killed, 2 wounded in Afghanistan
Source: Reuters
(Adds defence minister, Zapatero) By Jane Barrett MADRID, Feb 21 (Reuters) - One Spanish soldier was killed and two were wounded on Wednesday when a convoy of armoured ambulances was attacked in western Afghanistan, the first Spanish casualties there this year. The defence ministry said Idioa Rodriguez Bujan was killed near Shindand, south of Herat, while her team were on their way to support Italian soldiers training the Afghan army. "At the moment, we are investigating who carried out the attack and how. At the moment, everything seems to point towards a high-potency mine," the ministry said. Spain has almost 700 soldiers based in western Afghanistan as part of the 35,000-strong NATO force there. Last year, a Peruvian soldier serving with Spanish troops was killed on patrol in Afghanistan and in 2005, 17 Spaniards died when their helicopter came down. In 2003, a plane bringing 62 Spanish peacekeepers home crashed, killing all on board. Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso told reporters Spanish troops could face a rise in attacks now that the harsh Afghan winter was over. The Taliban have said they will step up suicide attacks this year after suffering heavy losses in conventional pitched battles in 2006. They have resumed attacks against government forces and Western troops in the south and east. "The west of the country, where the Spanish mission is based, is also a problematic region where risks are also rising," Alonso said. Spain has just under 3,000 troops abroad and the other major contingent is serving in Lebanon. Zapatero pulled Spanish soldiers out of Iraq, months after coming to power in 2004.
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