Three arrested after Molotov cocktail attack on military personnel in Ceuta
A group of Moroccans threw Molotov cocktails at a military patrol in Ceuta, the third attack in 72 hours. The Civil Guard arrested three men; there were no injuries.
Third attack in three days on military personnel in Ceuta: three arrested after Molotov cocktail attack
Three men of Moroccan nationality have been arrested by the Civil Guard after hurling several Molotov cocktails at an Army patrol carrying out surveillance duties in the vicinity of a beach in Ceuta. According to El Mundo, the attackers also threw bottles containing corrosive liquid at the soldiers. On this occasion there were no injuries among the military personnel.
The incident constitutes the third attack in less than 72 hours against personnel deployed in the autonomous city. Prior to this incident, two previous ambushes—recorded in the early hours of Thursday and Saturday—had left five military personnel injured. Police sources consulted by El Mundo maintain that the attack was premeditated, and point out that the soldiers were not carrying weapons or protective equipment at the time of the assault.
Following the two initial ambushes, police and military officials had already anticipated the possibility that there was an organised pattern of harassment. They also suggested that some groups might be seeking new ways to attack the personnel deployed in the city. The succession of stone-throwing incidents—directed at both military personnel and riot control officers from the National Police—and the apparent prior knowledge of patrol movements have raised the alert level. Nevertheless, at present there is no evidence of an organised structure behind the incidents nor has joint planning been established.
The main concern among military and police officials is that the attacks become a recurring practice. The military insist that they must be recognised as agents of authority in order to carry out their functions with legal backing.
From the Association of Spanish Troops and Sailors (ATME) urgent measures have been demanded. "We reiterate our urgent request for recognition of profession, of risk and of agents of authority for our military personnel so that they can perform their work and their functions with the necessary legality and legal protection," the association states in a statement. The ATME further denounces that military personnel feel "abandoned" and "alone" in a situation that, in its view, prevents them from acting more effectively.
The association has also sent a direct message to the Ministry of Defence, headed by Margarita Robles. "We are very clear and Defence has not responded since the beginning of the crisis to all the questions we have submitted in writing through the Armed Forces Personnel Council. They continue to deny us information and continue without telling us what legal protection our military personnel have," the ATME states. The organisation is calling for greater legal and material protection for the soldiers participating in the city's security operations.
Source: El Mundo