The murderer of two police officers died today in Afghanistan was the chauffeur and confidant of one of them. The attack occurred this morning at the former base of Qala-i-Naw, capital of Badghis province, when the two agents and their interpreter, Spanish of Iranian origin, have been shot dead during a training of Afghan police. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, has defined the act as “a premeditated attack.” After committing the attack, the terrorist was killed by the rest of civil guards who participated in the class. Then, alerted by the incident, hundreds of Afghans have gathered outside the military base and have thrown stones until they were dispersed by the Afghan police. The dead are José María Córdoba, captain of 33 years and Abraham Albacete natural Picallo Leoncio Bravo, born lieutenant of 33 years in A Coruña. The terrorist, Ghulam Sakhi, was a police captain working as a driver for months, with whom he shared many hours and had established a close relationship with him.
The incident occurred about 6.20 am (8.50 in Spain) on the basis of Qala-i-Naw, situated in the center of the city, where a score of civilian guards working in the training of Afghan police, when nine agents of the Guardia Civil, accompanied by two Spanish soldiers, taught a class of 47 police-training to Afghan students. Then, the driver opened fire with an assault rifle, “presumably a Kalashnikov”, as explained Rubalcaba, against the two officers and the interpreter. After that, the companions present, seven civilians and two soldiers guards, have shot dead. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, told Reuters the assailant was a member of the Taliban.
The two officers were seconded to the Rural Action Unit based in Logroño, in the Special Training Center, as reported by sources from the Guardia Civil. In Afghanistan since March, both were to be relieved on 22 September to return to Spain. The interpreter had been identified by the minister as Ataollah Taefy Khalili, 54.
After noon, Rubalcaba has come to clarify some points that have been confusion throughout the morning. The first is that the aggressor was a driver of the police and are therefore known “for several months” of an agent, something that had advanced the governor of the province of Baghdis, Dilbar Jan Arman. The other, that the terrorist was not involved in the class taught Spanish guards, but it has broken into armed and started shooting.
Also reported that after the “premeditated attack” several hundreds of Afghans are concentrated near the military base and have tried to assault her, but have been repulsed by the Army and the Afghan police. The Spanish agents have not left the base. On this point the information is also somewhat confusing, since in the first hours after the incident, Spanish military sources have reported a crowd of about 200 people who have brought “moments of tension,” but no injuries, before being informed by PA for what happened. News agencies then reported about 2,000 violent incidents. Images of CNN +, has been able to see the demonstrators throwing rocks at the base and uttering cries. Finally, the Afghan police has dispersed the protesters and has taken charge of security in the area.
All honors
Rubalcaba has been reported that this afternoon will fly to Afghanistan, the director general of police and Civil Guard, Francisco Javier Velázquez, and the Chief of Staff of Defense (JEMAD), General Jose Julio Rodriguez, repatriating the bodies of the deceased, whose arrival in Spain is scheduled for tomorrow. Here they will pay “full honors”, but always respecting the wishes of families, Rubalcaba has ended.
This morning, His Majesty the King has spoken with the Director General of Police and Civil Guard has asked him to convey his condolences and sympathy to the families of the Civil Guards killed in Afghanistan. The Kings have sent telegrams to the families and those in charge of Defence and Interior, Chief of Staff of Defence and Director General of Police and Civil Guard.
The president of the PP, Mariano Rajoy, has also moved their condolences, support and solidarity to the families of the two agents and the rest of the body of the Guardia Civil and stressed the “commendable work” of the deceased to the service of Spain.
The officers were part of the quota of 37 Civil Guards deployed in Afghanistan in various missions, including contributing to the formation of local security forces will take over security gradually as foreign troops from NATO will be retracted. The U.S. withdrawal should begin next year, but before last year, the U.S. president, Barack Obama, decided to increase the U.S. contingent to tackle the Taliban’s gains, recovering some ground. He also asked NATO members to increase their quotas. Spain refused, but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Obama promised in December that Spain would undertake a “significant contribution” to the training of Afghan security forces through the Civil Guard. This ad is linked to the fact Zapatero in April when he said he would send 40 officers into one operation with the French Gendarmerie and Italian Carabinieri.
