Spain to extradite "Dirty War" Argentine officer

MADRID, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Spain will extradite a former Argentine naval officer accused of murdering thousands of people during the country's "Dirty War", the government said on Friday.

Ricardo Miguel Cavallo has been held in a Spanish prison since 2003, when he was extradited from Mexico and charged by the authorities in Spain with genocide and terrorism.

But the Spanish government said in a news release it would grant a request from Argentina for his extradition, although the actions against him in Spain will still be pending.

Spanish prosecutors had asked for multiple life sentences in prison for Cavallo for the death and torture of Spanish citizens during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship.

When Cavallo was handed over to Spain, it was the first time a country had extradited a suspect to another to stand trial for alleged rights abuses committed in a third.

(Reporting by Jason Webb; Editing by Jon Boyle)