KABUL (AFP) — Spanish King Juan Carlos made a lightning visit to Afghanistan to visit troops serving with NATO-led forces in the west of the war-ravaged country, an Afghan official said.
The Spanish king travelled to the western city of Herat to meet with some of the nearly 800 soldiers serving in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), tasked with helping Afghanistan battle a Taliban-led insurgency.
"He's here for a short visit and will leave today," a high-ranking government official told AFP on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media about the visit for security reasons.
The official could not give further details about the visit.
Leaders from Australia, France and Italy have recently visited troops serving in Afghanistan, at the end of the bloodiest year since the toppling of the Taliban regime in a US-led invasion in late 2001.
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