King Juan Carlos visits Spanish troops in Afghanistan (Roundup)

Madrid/Herat - King Juan Carlos on Monday paid a previously unannounced visit to Spanish troops stationed in Afghanistan, officials in Madrid said. The 69-year-old monarch along with Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso met troops stationed at the Spanish base in Herat in western Afghanistan. The king, who as head of state is also commander-in-chief of the Spanish military, wished a happy New Year to the around 700 Spanish soldiers serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Juan Carlos, meanwhile, received best wishes for his 70th birthday, which falls on Saturday. An Afghan official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media said the visit would be a short one and the king was to leave later Monday. A total of 74 Spanish soldiers have been killed in attacks and accidents since their deployment with the ISAF. An additional 62 troops died four years ago after their military aircraft crashed in Turkey as it was returning from the Afghan theatre. Juan Carlos' visit to Herat followed another five years ago to visit Spanish troops stationed in Kosovo. Monday's visit by the Spanish monarch was not made public for security reasons and came at the end of what has been the bloodiest year in Afghanistan - with more than 6,200 people killed - since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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