Twelve migrants detained in Ceuta after attacking soldiers with stones in Benzú
Twelve Moroccan citizens were arrested after ambushing a military vehicle in Ceuta. Four soldiers were injured and had to flee on foot.
Ambush against soldiers in Ceuta: twelve detainees of Moroccan nationality
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the detention of twelve migrants after attacking a military vehicle in the autonomous city of Ceuta, according to El Mundo. The incident occurred around 5.30 hours in the Benzú area, when four soldiers were travelling in an unarmoured vehicle to carry out surveillance duties.
A soldier stationed in the area explained to El Mundo that the personnel were surrounded by between 30 and 40 people who began throwing "large stones" at them. The attackers also used sticks and knives, according to sources familiar with what happened.
Faced with the intensity of the attack, the four soldiers had to abandon the vehicle and flee on foot. The assailants continued to pursue them and threw stones during the chase. The Superior Police Directorate confirmed that the soldiers suffered various injuries and contusions.
The personnel alerted emergency services through 112, which activated a response operation involving officers from the National Police and the Civil Guard. Given the seriousness of the situation, intervention by the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), the National Police riot police, and a second Army patrol was also necessary.
When the first patrols arrived, the assailants fled towards Benzú. The subsequent search operation resulted in the detention of twelve people, all of Moroccan nationality. Some of those involved attempted to escape by throwing themselves into the sea, so the Civil Guard Maritime Service maintained search and rescue operations in the area. The four soldiers were taken to a healthcare facility to receive medical assistance.
The Spanish Troop and Navy Association denounced that the soldiers were not armed and lacked adequate protective equipment, and that they had to be assisted by the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Maritime Service.
The Union of Military Personnel (UMT) expressed its "most energetic repudiation and indignation" at the "ambush suffered by military personnel deployed in Ceuta". The association described as "inadmissible" the situation of "operational and legal defencelessness" to which, in its view, members of the Armed Forces are subjected, and denounced the absence of a "clear regulatory framework" and rules of engagement that guarantee their security.
The UMT also stated that it had been formally warning for more than ten days of the "real risk" to which personnel in the area were exposed, and held the "inaction of the Ministry of Defence" and "lack of foresight" responsible for what occurred. The organisation called on the department headed by Margarita Robles for an "immediate and urgent review" of security protocols and the legal framework for the operations of the Armed Forces.
Ceuta's second vice-president and treasury adviser, Kissy Chandiramani, urged citizens of Ceuta to conduct protests without violence and with "unity". In an interview with Cadena SER reported by Europa Press, she stressed that "tension in the city of Ceuta is very high" and called for calm from institutions, political parties and media. Chandiramani acknowledged that the mass arrival in late July "has been overwhelming for the administrations" and that the response from the central Government has been "very late".
In parallel, the Ministry of Youth and Childhood convened a sectoral conference for this Thursday with the autonomous communities to vote on the transfer of 25 million euros to Ceuta intended for the care of minors present in the city. The Government estimates 1,500 minors have been identified so far and is working on a plan for the urgent transfer of 500 girls to other autonomous communities, according to EFE.
The meeting is expected to be tense: Aragón, Castilla y León and Extremadura—communities where Child Protection policies are in the hands of Vox in PP governments—announced they would not attend, as happened at the commission held weeks earlier. The investigation into the attack remains open to identify and locate the remaining participants.
Source: El Mundo