Italian officer, Massimo Ranzani

Capitano Massimo Ranzani

The Italian soldier killed today (28th February) is Captain Massimo Ranzani, of the 5th Alpine Regiment. The incident occured about 25km north of Shindand when a joint Italian-Afghan military convoy got hit by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Four other soldiers were injured in the blast and air evacuated to hospital.

The patrol was part of an operation providing medical assistance to the local population.

The Italian Army reports that Ranzani has been posthumously promoted from the rank of 1st Lieutenant to Captain.

Leave a tribute to Captain Ranzani

Italian soldier killed in western Afghanistan

This post has now been Updated: Captain Massimo Ranzani

Two Spanish soldiers killed in suicide bomb attack

Brigadier Juan Andrés Suárez

Corporal Rubén Alonso Ríos

9th November: Two Spanish soldiers have been killed and four more injured in a suicide attack in Shindand, Afghanistan, to the south of Herat, considered to be one of the most dangerous areas of the country.

The dead men have been named as 30 year old Corporal Rubén Alonso Ríos from Vigo, and 41 year old Brigadier Juan Andrés Suárez from Mieres, Asturias. Their vehicle, which was the last one of six armoured vehicles in a convoy protecting 12 Afghan lorries, was attacked by a van packed with explosives as they formed part of Afghan National Army convoy. The two men died instantly.

Female Spanish soldier, Idoia Bujan, killed by IED

Idoia Rodríguez Buján

A female Spanish soldier has been killed in a blast near Shindand, Herat province. She is the first Spanish fatality in 2007. She also becomes the first woman Spanish soldier to lose her life while on a peace mission.

She is 23 year old Idoia Rodríguez Buján from Lugo, and was with the Light Air Transport Brigade – BRILAT - , based in Figueirido, Pontevedra, which has more than 300 women assigned to it.

She was travelling in a convoy of five armoured ambulances which was hit by a powerful mine blast on 21st February.