News

Spanish police have arrested overnight at least three suspected ''legal'' (not found on police records) members of the Basque armed group ETA. They have been named as Patxi Uranga and Olatz Lasagabaster who were detained in the Basque town of Usurbil (Gipuzkoa), while Ainara Vázquez was arrested in nearby Astigarraga. Names and details were confirmed by the Pro Amnesty group.

It is thought the three may be linked to various attacks committed against works carried out by firms currently constructing the high speed train, to sources within the investigation report. The operation currently has no links to investigations into the death last Friday of Eduardo Puelles, but is instead connected to an era in which the Bizkaia named branch of ETA, which operated under Jurdan Martitegi, was disbanded in July 2007.

75 kilos of explosives seized in Usurbil

The area where the arrests took place was cordoned off while police seized documentation and 75 kilos of explosives, which had been divided into packets ready to transport to ETA terrorist cells.

The operation, which started at 02:15 is being directed by Spanish National Court judge, Baltasar Garzon, and in principle has no links to the investigation opened after the killing of the National Police Inspector, Eduardo Puelles, last Friday in Arrigorriaga, Vizcaya.

Basque Y: an ETA target

The construction of a high speed train which will have its route through much of the Basque country has been one of the armed group''s principle targets. ETA has released direct threats towards firms and workers involved in its construction and last December were responsible for the assassination of Inaxio Uria, the semi-retired boss of the building company ''Altuna y Uria'', which are involved in works on the high-speed train track.

In other attacks, ETA planted a bomb in a car parked in the Campo de las Naciones in Madrid, without causing injury but with the aim of targeting the firm ''Ferrovial'' for its links to the high-speed train.