Salvadorans Arrest 15 Spanish Travelers

Security forces arrested a group of 15 Spaniards traveling in one of the country’s war zones, the Salvadoran military said Wednesday.

They did not have permission to be in the area, it said in a statement.

The 15 were arrested by guardsmen late Tuesday night in San Francisco Chamoco, a village in San Vicente province.

The Spaniards were held overnight at police headquarters in the capital and handed over to Spanish diplomats Wednesday morning.

“They were not mistreated but they are very tired. They haven’t slept for two days,” a Spanish Embassy official said.

The official described the 15 as “tourists” but declined to say if they had links with any international relief group.

The military was deciding if they should be expelled, he added.