Alex Trelinski
PRIME MINISTER Pedro Sanchez visited Spanish troops working in Iraq on Thursday and toured one of their bases.
362 military personnel from Spain are deployed in the Middle Eastern country and are assigned to two missions.
Sanchez was shown around several sections of the Union III base accompanied by General Jose Aguero, who is heading up a NATO mission there.
One area the Prime Minister dropped in on was Casa España- a place of work and rest for Spanish troops.
In a speech, Sanchez paid tribute to seven officers from the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) who were killed in Iraq just over 20 years ago.
He said they were ‘vilely murdered’.
The secret service officers died in November 2003 in a terrorist ambush in Latifiya while carrying out a reconnaissance mission travelling in two civilian vehicles that were attacked with grenades and rifles.
Sanchez thanked the Union III personnel on behalf of the government and Spanish society for the work they do to maintain international security and stability.
He added that remained committed to Spain playing its part in trying to keep the world safe.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the sacrifice of armed forces members being away from their families during the Christmas holiday period.
He said that he is confident that 2024 will bring ‘Peace, stability in many parts of the world and, in particular, in areas close to Iraq’.
