A Spanish soldier was wounded in the leg yesterday afternoon after being acidentally shot by a colleague.

The incident occurred at around 2.30pm at the Qala i Naw Provincial Reconstruction Team's base in northern Afghanistan.

The wounded soldier was later airlifted by helicopter to the Spanish field hospital in nearby Herat.

He was shot through a partition wall as both men were in their bedrooms when the second soldier's rifle discharged involuntarily.

There are 778 Spanish soldiers in Afghanistan.

Over the last three months, Spanish patrols have come under fire from local rebel gangs on three occasions though there have been no casualties.