Madrid - Two Spanish soldiers have been killed and one seriously injured in an attack in Afghanistan, the Spanish Defence Ministry said Sunday in Madrid.

The attack occurred near the Spanish base in Herat in the west of the country, the ministry said, without giving further details.

State radio RNE reported that a patrol of Spanish and Afghan troops was attacked with hand grenades.

There are some 780 Spanish soldiers in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, of whom 24 have been killed in attacks and accidents.

Five years ago, 62 Spanish soldiers were killed when their plane crashed in Turkey as they returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. (dpa)