Seven hurt by car bomb in suspected new Eta attack
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A powerful car bomb exploded last night near the Basque city of San Sebastian,injuring two officers of the paramilitary Civil Guard and five passersby, including a 10-year-old boy.
A powerful car bomb exploded last night near the Basque city of San Sebastian,injuring two officers of the paramilitary Civil Guard and five passersby, including a 10-year-old boy.
The attack, the third since the separatist organisation Eta ended a ceasefire in December, occurred within 300 yards of the Civil Guard barracks in the industrial neighbourhood of Intxaurrondo.
The bomb, in a double-parked car, was activated by remote control as the armoured Jeep carrying two Civil Guards officers, a man and a woman, drove past. The man left the vehicle unaided while the woman had to be helped. Fragments of the vehicle were spread for 50 yards by the impact of the blast, although none of the injured is dangerously ill.
The area around the barracks was cordoned off amid scenes of chaos and panic, while ambulances and fire fighters headed to the scene.
Several cars were in flames and plaster and glass from the windows of nearby buildings crashed into the street. Authorities said an attack on a Civil Guard headquarters in Bilbao had been foiled in January.
The attack displayed all the accuracy and careful preparation of recent bomb blasts in Vitoria and Madrid that have been attributed to Eta.
It came just six days ahead of the closely contested general elections in Spain, and follows recent warnings from the Interior Minister, Jaime Mayor Oreja, that Eta was likely to make a violent intervention in the campaign as it had declined to participate peacefully.
The government's representative in the Basque country, Enrique Villar, last night condemned the "savage" attack. "We've come to expect this sort of thing from these animals. They are trying to destroy our society," Mr Villar said.
A bomb blast in the Basque capital, Vitoria, on 22 February killed Fernando Buesa, a socialist leader in the regional parliament, along with his bodyguard, Jorge Diez.
A month before that, an army officer, Lt-Col Pedro Blanco, was killed in a bomb blast in Madrid as he was waiting for his official vehicle to take him to work in the defence ministry. In response to that attack, a million people filled the streets of Madrid in protest at the resumption of Eta violence after a 14-month truce.
Intxaurrondo barracks is a particularly loathed target among armed Basque nationalists, the headquarters of what they consider Madrid's "occupation forces".
The barracks was the hub of many actions by Gal government-sponsored undercover hit squads that tortured and killed a number of Eta suspects in the early Eighties.
Scandals surrounding the Gal helped bring down the socialist government of Felipe Gonzalez in 1996.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments