King Felipe presides at funeral of police officers killed in Afghanistan

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presided over the funeral services on Tuesday of the two Spanish police officers who were killed in last week’s suicide attack near Spain’s Embassy in Kabul.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also attended the service at Spanish National Police headquarters in the Madrid district of Canillas, along with Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, his main opponent in Sunday’s general elections, and other political leaders and government officials. Hundreds of officers, including an honor guard, were also present.

Technical problems delayed the flight that carried the bodies of the two fallen officers

Jorge García Tudela, 45, and Isidro Gabino Sanmartín Hernández, 48, were both killed during the incident last Friday, which claimed the lives of 10 others including the four suicide bombers.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia met with family members of the two officers to offer their condolences before the Catholic funeral service began. The caskets arrived at police headquarters in two separate vehicles and were carried inside the chapel by fellow officers in uniform.

An Airbus jet that transported the bodies of two men arrived at 11.30am at Torrejón de Ardoz airbase outside the capital. Technical problems delayed the flight, which had been scheduled to arrive at 9am.

Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz was on hand to meet the plane, which was also carrying seven other officers from the Spanish force who were on duty in Kabul when the Taliban attack took place.

According to the head of the Spanish National Police force, Ignacio Cosidó, García Tudela was found dead in his quarters with his weapon in hand and cuts to his neck. Gabino was gunned down when he emerged from inside the embassy.

The terrorists were thought to be targeting a small guest house near the embassy that was regularly used by US citizens, the interior minister said, quoting preliminary information from Afghan police and authorities.

Cosidó and Mariano Simancas, the police commissioner who is responsible for international cooperation, also flew to Kabul to retrieve the bodies of the two men.

A team of 11 officers from the Special Operations Group (GEO) and Police Intervention Units (UIP) were sent to the Afghan capital to replace security personnel at the Spanish Embassy.

Because the attack took place on Spanish territory – albeit a diplomatic mission – and the victims were Spaniards, the High Court prosecutor has opened a judicial investigation into the incident.

In a related matter, France condemned the attack on Tuesday and sent its condolences to the families of the two officers and the Spanish government.

A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry underscored in a press statement France’s “determination” to fight “against international terrorism in all its forms.”

English version Martin Delfín.