(Kabul, Afghanistan) According to Spanish military sources, 17 Spanish soldiers serving with NATO Forces have been killed in a helicopter crash in western Afghanistan.

From News International Pakistan:

Security officials in Afghanistan said two Pumas had collided about 10km (six miles) south of Herat and five people were still missing.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. Spain has about 850 troops deployed in Afghanistan.

It will be interesting to see how the Spanish public reacts to this news. They have been known to cave when circumstances become stressful. I suspect there will be some discussion about what the Spanish commitment to NATO should be.