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5 February 2004
MADRID – The Guardia Civil commander who was shot during an attack in Iraq was buried Thursday with full military honours in Madrid.
Commandante Gonzalo Perez Garcia died late Wednesday night after lying in a coma for more than a week in a hospital in the Spanish capital.
The funeral was to take place Thursday afternoon at the headquarters of the Guardia Civil.
Sources at the Defence Ministry said Garcia died at 9.05pm on Wednesday in a military hospital in Madrid. His family has given permission for his organs to be donated.
He was shot in the head on 23 January near Baghdad and had been flown back to Spain for treatment.
The Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, minister of the Interior, Angel Acebes, and Defence Minister, Frederico Trillo are all to attend the funeral.
The effective leader of the ruling Popular Party, Mariano Rajoy, and the leader of the socialist opposition, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, will also attend.
The King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have sent their messages of condolences to the family of Garcia.
Garcia was 42, married and the father of three daughters. He was originally from Toledo.
He was serving with the Spanish Plus Ultra Brigade at Diwaniya, near Baghdad, as part of the the Spanish security service.
Last year, seven security officers serving in Iraq were gunned down. Another officer was also assassinated.
[Copyright EFE with Expatica]
Subject: Spanish news