National
A Spanish soldier has died on assignment with NATO forces in Afghanistan
By m.p.
Feb 22, 2007 - 8:27 AM

A Spanish soldier has died on assignment with NATO forces in Afghanistan, becoming the first Spanish casualty in the country this year. She also becomes the first woman Spanish soldier to lose her life while on a peace mission.

She is 23 year old Idoia Rodríguez Buján from Lugo, and was with the Light Air Transport Brigade – BRILAT - , based in Figueirido, Pontevedra, which has more than 300 women assigned to it.

She was travelling in a convoy of five armoured ambulances which was hit by a powerful mine blast near Shindand, in the south of Herat province, on Wednesday.

Two other Spanish soldiers were injured in the blast, but are out of danger, according to reports. They are named as Second Lieutenant César Muñoz Pantoja, and Corporal Jorge Liaño del Río.

The convoy was providing support to Italian forces training the Afghani Army, in the zone assigned to Spanish troops.

Another NATO soldier died in Afghanistan on Wednesday, in the south of the country, which is the zone mainly assigned to UK and Canadian troops.

The body of Idoia Rodríguez Buján is expected to arrive home in Spain tomorrow, Friday. The two injured men will be flown back with her.

The Defence Minister, José Antonio Alonso, has expressed his condolences to her family, adding that the Spanish government is committed to providing support for the United Nations’ ‘noble and decent’ mission to reconstruct Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, also expressed his condolences, as did the opposition leader, Mariano Rajoy.

The Minister said Idoia will be honoured for her service with the posthumous award of the Cross of Military Merit, with a Yellow Ribbon distinction: it’s given for merit for those who are injured or killed while on high-risk service.

There are currently 690 Spanish troops based in Afghanistan, where 19 members of Spain’s Armed Forces have now died.