Terrorist attack on Guardia Civil Afghanistan post

AFGHANISTAN Two Guardia Civil officers on training duty in the Qala-i-Naw base in Afghanistan were killed by their Afghan driver of five months. Captain José María Galera Córdoba, 33, of Albacete, and Lieutentant Abraham Leoncio Bravo Picallo, also 33, of A Coruña, and their interpreter, nationalised Spaniard of Iranian origin, were gunned down by their Afghan charge. He, in turn, was shot dead by members of the GC unit there. Both men came from the GC basein Logroño and were due to return therein a month's time. Galera was an expert in anti-terrorism, while Bravo was continuing his training as an instructor. After the incident, the Spanish base was attacked by a civilian crowd demanding the return of the driver's body, but was repelled by units of the Afghan police and Guardia Civil.

Spain helps bring back stranded troops

The UK government is deploying three Royal Navy ships to help bring stranded Britons home, including 500 British soldiers from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, who are being airlifted by chartered civilian jets from Cyprus to Spain, before sailing to the UK aboard HMS Albion. The ship, due to arrive at Santander on Tuesday morning, may also carry civilians on its return. The Ministry of Defence said most of the soldiers were coming home from Afghanistan. About 150,000 Britons are currently stranded abroad, according to travel agents' association, Abta.