Spain: Police officer killed in Oviedo after neighborhood dispute escalates with explosion

A national police officer was killed in Oviedo, Spain on Tuesday following an explosion in the Villafria neighborhood. Another is being treated for serious wounds in a nearby hospital. According to local media, the officers were responding to an escalating dispute between two local families in which a woman was shot by a man early in the morning.

She is reportedly expected to recover, though it remains unclear what prompted the attack. The two officers — a member of the elite TEDAX explosives unit and a canine handler — approached a suspicious backpack at the scene, which then detonated before it could be neutralized. The canine handler and his dog were both killed.

The bomb disposal expert is reportedly undergoing surgery to save his leg. Police union JUPOL expressed its "deep sorrow and dismay" over the incident. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent his condolences to the colleagues and family of the deceased, saying he was "deeply shocked." The area surrounding Rafael Urrusti Street has been cordoned off.