Four Moroccans arrested following stone attack on soldiers in Ceuta, sergeant injured
The Guardia Civil arrested four Moroccan men after attacking a military patrol in Ceuta. It is the second assault in less than a week.
Second ambush on soldiers in Ceuta in less than a week
The Guardia Civil has arrested four Moroccan citizens—one of them a minor—following a fresh ambush against soldiers in Ceuta, according to El Mundo. According to sources cited by the newspaper, the attackers are believed to have planned the assault and deliberately waited for the patrol to pass before charging at them.
A sergeant sustained minor injuries as a result of the assault, as confirmed by the Association of Spanish Troops and Seafarers (ATME). The attackers threw stones indiscriminately at the group of soldiers, who, as in the ambush recorded the previous Thursday, were not carrying weapons or protective equipment.
The situation did not escalate further thanks to the chance presence of a patrol from the Guardia Civil's Rapid Action Group (GAR), deployed to the autonomous city. Those officers managed to arrest three of the four attackers at the scene. The fourth managed to flee, although he was located later.
This is the second assault against soldiers in Ceuta in less than a week. Last Thursday, twelve migrants were arrested after attacking an Army vehicle with stones and injuring four soldiers; on that occasion clubs and knives were also used.
ATME denounced that soldiers "continue to be targets of aggression and attacks" in the autonomous city and called for more resources so that they can perform their duties "in the appropriate manner and be able to repel any kind of assault, having the defence means stipulated and ordered". The association also warned that personnel "not only have to endure physical aggression, but also complete psychological harassment with insults and accusations".
The Popular Party (PP) has demanded that soldiers be granted recognition as agents of authority, in order to provide them with greater legal and judicial backing in the exercise of their functions in the autonomous city.
Source: El Mundo