Suspicious envelope found at US Embassy in Spain amid probe

Police in Spain detonated a suspicious envelope discovered at the US Embassy in Madrid, Spanish officials said on Thursday, a day after a similar package sent to the Ukrainian Embassy ignited upon opening and injured an employee.

“We can confirm a suspicious package was received at the US Embassy in Madrid, and are aware of reports of other packages sent to other locations throughout Spain,” the American embassy said in a response to an Associated Press inquiry.

“We are grateful to Spanish law enforcement for their assistance with this matter,” it added.

Authorities cordoned off a wide area around the embassy, located in the centre of Spain's capital.

The action followed police reporting that multiple explosive letters were sent in Spain over the past two days. Police said they were delivered to Spain's Defence Ministry, a European Union satellite centre located at the Torrejon de Ardoz air base outside Madrid and to an arms factory in northeastern Spain that makes grenades sent to Ukraine.

Spanish authorities have yet to determine who was responsible for the letters or link them to the war in Ukraine.

Authorities said a bomb squad also destroyed an explosive device that was dispatched by regular post to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on November 24.

The Russian Embassy in Madrid on Thursday condemned the letter bombs, saying in a tweet that “any threat or terrorist attack, especially those directed at diplomatic missions, are totally condemnable”.

Also watch: Spain: 2 new letter bombs detected after Ukraine embassy blast

The package sent to the Ukrainian Embassy was addressed to the country's ambassador to Spain. The employee handling it was slightly injured when it burst into flames.

Spain's National Court is investigating the incident as a terrorist act.