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Guardia Civil boat (symbolic image): Two police officers were killed in the Spanish port of Barbate
Photo: dpa
Two police officers were killed and two others injured in a boat chase by drug smugglers in the port of the southern Spanish city of Barbate. According to police sources, the members of the Guardia Civil died when the drug smugglers rammed the police boat with their boat on Friday evening. According to authorities, five people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Several Spanish media outlets circulated a video of the incident published by the Guardia Civil union AUGC, which shows several boats and the waves caused by the chase. One of the two injured Civil Guard members was treated in hospital but his life was out of danger.
The five arrested are the three occupants of the boat that rammed the Guardia Civil boat. According to the authorities, there were also two other people who arrived in a vehicle to pick up their accomplices on the boat.
"Tragic incident"
The AUGC spoke of a “tragic incident” and called for a “deep investigation.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on the online service X (formerly Twitter) that he “deeply regrets” the deaths of the two agents.
Barbate is located in the Gulf of Cadiz on the Atlantic coast, not far from the Strait of Gibraltar. The Gulf of Cadiz is an important location for drug smuggling between North Africa and Spain. Spanish security forces often confiscate illegal drugs there.
Spain is home to some of the most important drug trafficking hubs in Europe. The southern Spanish region of Andalusia is particularly affected.
jus/AFP