MADRID: Spanish and French troops were forced to leave a key air base in Kyrgyzstan for missions in Afghanistan this month after the Central Asian nation refused to renew permission for its use, Spanish radio reported Sunday.

Spain temporarily moved the roughly 60 soldiers and two Hercules C-130 planes which it had stationed at the base at Manas to Herat in Afghanistan on Oct 13, Cadena Ser reported citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

France withdrew its forces from the base near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, at the same time, the radio station added.

No one was immediately available at Spain’s defence ministry to confirm the report.
Kyrgyzstan cancelled deals for use of the base — a key refuelling point for aircraft in Nato operations against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan — with Spain and France in March when it overturned the main agreement with the United States on use of the base, AFP reports.

In June Kyrgyzstan agreed to let the United States continue to use the base after Washington said it was willing to pay more to have access to the facilities.

Earlier this month Spain sent a delegation to Kyrgyzstan to negotiate a similar agreement to continue to use the base but the talks broke down, the radio station said.

Spain has lost the use of the base just as it has agreed to boost its troop contingent in Afghanistan ahead of the second round of the presidential election on Nov 7, it added.

The Manas base, sometimes dubbed ‘The Gateway to Hell’ as many of the troops that pass through it head to combat duty in Afghanistan, has taken on added importance as instability in Pakistan has hampered alternative transit routes.