Spanish troops hurt in Afghan blast, one dies

MADRID, July 8 (Reuters) A Peruvian serving with the Spanish military was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan today and four others were wounded, a Defence Ministry spokeswoman said.

''The incident happened when the soldiers were out on patrol ...

We are trying to find out whether the explosion was a mine or an intentionally detonated device,'' she said.

The dead man, originally from Peru who had enlisted in the Spanish military, died while being transferred to the Spanish-Italian base at Herat.

The ministry named him as Jorge Arnaldo Hernandez Seminario.

Spain has 680 soldiers in Afghanistan, serving with the U.N.

force.

Newspaper El Pais said on its Web site that 79 had been killed since 2002 in two aviation accidents, but until now none had died in insurgent attacks. The ministry was not immediately able to confirm that.

Reuters SY DB2357