Spain – Five Eta Bombs Signal Summer Terror Plans
July 21, 2008 by national
Filed under World Report
The Basque separatist group Eta signalled the start of a summer terror campaign yesterday when it detonated four bombs at tourist resorts and another at a Barclays Bank in northern Spain.
One woman was injured and another treated for shock following the co-ordinated attacks which were seen by the Spanish authorities as a signal of intent during the holiday season.
The first device detonated shortly after 5am outside a branch of Barclays in Neguri, near the Basque city of Bilbao, popular with British visitors.
The bomb shattered windows at the front of the building and blackened the entrance to the bank, damaging the cash dispenser machine.
A Barclays spokesman said that the branch suffered only minor damage and would be open for business today.
A caller claiming to representing Eta issued warnings of other devices planted in towns in the neighbouring province of Cantabria.
One exploded in the sand next to a beach-front promenade in the town of Laredo, near the ferry port of Santander, just after noon, followed by another nearby.
About 40 minutes later, another bomb exploded in sand dunes on the beach of Noja, about 20 miles from Laredo. Police had cordoned off the towns after receiving the warnings.
A fourth bomb then exploded on a golf course at Noja.
“We received a call at around 10.30 am from someone who said they represented Eta and told us Eta had planted four bombs on beaches at Laredo, Noja and Noja golf course,” said an emergency services official.
A spokesman for the Spanish government said: “There were no injuries because the area had been cleared and cordoned off.”
Police were continuing to hunt for other devices last night.
