A Spanish National Police officer died and a bomb disposal specialist sustained severe injuries when a suspicious backpack detonated during an operation in Oviedo on November 10, 2026.
Police Respond to Villafría Shooting
Emergency services rushed to Rafael Urrusti street in the Villafría neighborhood shortly after 7:00 a.m. following reports of a violent dispute between neighbors. Police found a young woman who had sustained gunshot wounds at the scene, as police spokesman Pedro Aguado confirmed.
According to information gathered by Jupol, officers responded to a call concerning a young woman who had been shot and whose father was attempting to take her to hospital, noting the initial alert followed a shooting in which a 17-year-old girl was injured.
When officers arrived to secure the area and provide medical assistance, they discovered an abandoned backpack near the entrance of the residential building.
While officers searched the area for the fleeing suspect, they found the suspicious backpack featuring a flashing light, prompting authorities to call in both the canine unit and explosives disposal specialists from the TEDAX unit. Investigators examined the suspicious package, noting the suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
Backpack Detonates on Rafael Urrusti Street
The explosion happened when officers from Spain’s canine unit and explosives disposal unit arrived and examined the suspicious backpack. The event took place in a social housing building, where the suspect had left a backpack containing an explosive device in the portal while fleeing the scene.
A specialist from the bomb disposal unit was seriously injured in the blast, and both the wounded officer and the woman injured in the initial shooting were rushed to the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias.
Our hearts are with his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.
Spanish police
Officers Hunt for Armed Suspect
Police are conducting a widespread operation near the explosion site as officers search for the suspect, who has not been caught and is considered highly dangerous. The regional government of Asturias has activated its highest level of emergency security protocols.
Political leaders offered swift condemnation of the attack. Taking to social media, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that he was deeply shocked by the fatal incident, paying tribute to the injured officer and declaring that his dedication and courage deserve the gratitude of an entire country.
Spanish opposition leader and President of the People’s Party Alberto Núñez Feijóo described the event as heartbreaking, offering his condolences to the family of the officer who died and his best wishes for the recovery of the seriously injured officer.
