Twelve Moroccan nationals were arrested in the night of 27 August in Ceuta after a military vehicle was attacked with stones in the district of Benzú and four soldiers were injured. The Jefatura Superior de Policía said the incident took place at around 05:30, when the military personnel were on their way to a guard post in the Benzú area.
According to investigators, a group of around 30 to 40 people surrounded the vehicle and threw “large stones”. The soldiers got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, sustaining injuries that were treated in hospital. Officers from the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil were alerted by emergency calls and subsequently arrested twelve suspects. Some members of the group escaped. According to consistent police reports, some of those involved jumped into the sea, prompting the Guardia Civil to launch maritime searches as well.
The Jefatura Superior de Policía is investigating who was responsible, how the attack unfolded and whether it was organised. No decision had yet been made by the morning of 27 August on whether to bring formal charges. No further information was initially given about the injured military personnel’s condition beyond their initial treatment. Police put the number of injured at four; some media outlets gave different figures.
The Ceuta city government called for calm on the morning of 27 August and urged people not to inflame the situation further. Security authorities stress that any further measures will depend on the results of the ongoing investigation. The relevant authorities initially made no comment on possible immigration measures against those accused.
Local media such as El Faro de Ceuta also reported the arrests in Benzú and the parallel searches along the coast. National media, including El País, picked up the authorities’ statements. Police initially gave no detailed information on whether any of those arrested were suspected ringleaders or whether anything had been seized.
The facts should be distinguished from assessments: the attack in Benzú, the injuries to four soldiers, the alerting of the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil, and the arrest of twelve Moroccan nationals are confirmed. Any further assumptions about the planning of the attack or future legal measures are unconfirmed. Further official statements are expected once interviews and analysis of the evidence have been completed.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).