Car bomb explodes in north Spain after ETA tip-off

A car bomb exploded the Basque city of Bilbao in northwestern Spain after tip-offs sent on behalf of armed Basque separatist …

A car bomb exploded the Basque city of Bilbao in northwestern Spain after tip-offs sent on behalf of armed Basque separatist group ETA.

A spokesman for the regional police said that one person was treated for shock at the scene of the blast, but that there were no other injuries.

The attack damaged nearby houses and broke windows.

The police said the explosion happened in the Neguri district of Getxo at around midday. Neguri is a residential area popular with the Basque middle class, which has been the target of several ETA attacks over the last two years.

READ MORE

Telephone calls made in ETA's name were received by nationalist Basque daily newspaper Garaand road rescue service association DYA about 40 minutes before the blast, warning them of the whereabouts of a booby-trapped Ford Fiesta.

Basque regional police were able to seal off the danger area and tell neighbours to take shelter in their garages but the bomb exploded just before disposal experts could reach it.

ETA carried out an identical attack in the same street on June 25, 2000, when it also issued a bomb warning, Basque news agency Vasco Press reported.

AFP