There were between 100 and 224 civilian deaths. On 16 April 1938, the Anglo-Italian pact was signed. Italy accepted to withdraw her troops from Spain once the war was over and the countries agreed to guarantee the status quo in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, Italy sent three thousand troops to Spain on 11 April and the Italians continued their bombings against the Republican Spain. Franco wanted to eliminate the Republican maritime commerce and destroy the Republican morale and he authorized the "Aviazione Legionaria" and the "Legion Condor" to undertake indiscriminate bombings of the Republican cities. Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante and other Spanish cities were bombed. On 31 May, five Italian bombers of the "Aviazione Legionaria", bombed the city of Granollers. The town, 20 miles north of Barcelona, had no military targets. The bombers dropped 40 bombs of 100 kilograms in the city center. There were between 100 and 224 civilian dead (most of them women and children). The British government sent two officers to carry out an enquiry and they reported that the bombing must have been often aimed at non military targets. The British government and the Vatican protested to Burgos, Berlin, and Rome. Ciano said that Franco ordered the attacks and the Italians were not responsible, but he promised to do what he could, nevertheless he said to the German ambassador that: "Actually, we have, of course, done nothing, and have no intention of doing anything either". Battle of Merida pocket  The battle of Mérida pocket, also known as the Closing of Mérida pocket (), was an action that took place during the Spanish Civil War in July 1938 in La Serena zone of Badajoz Province. A swift and decisive operation, it was masterminded and carried out by the Francoist military and ended up becoming a bloodbath for the Republican troops. Although it was one of the major battles in the Spanish Civil War, the relevance of the closing of Mérida pocket was eclipsed by the onset of the Battle of the Ebro which took place roughly at the same time at the other end of the Republic. The Mérida pocket was the westernmost border of the Spanish Republic in 1937; protruding westwards towards Mérida, a town that had been secured by rebel forces in 1936 at the time of the Battle of Mérida. The pocket was a wedge of Republican territory between the rebel-held areas to the northwest and to the southwest until relatively late in the conflict. But in May 1938 the Francoist high command issued a plan to take this territory that had been in Republican hands since the Extremaduran front had stabilized in 1937.