Spanish soldier killed in Afghanistan

A Spanish soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked his unit with small arms, the Spanish Defence Ministry said Sunday. A statement by the Ministry of Defense said the soldier was shot in the chest while he was on patrol with Afghan forces in the northwest of the country, bringing the number of Spanish soldiers who have died since the beginning of their mission in Afghanistan in January 2002, to 97 soldiers. Spain plans to withdraw all its troops including 1,500 soldiers operating within the international force to support the NATO-led security in Afghanistan by the year 2014.