According to last minute reports in the Spanish press, the two Basques considered to be the leaders of the Spanish Basque terrorist group ETA, Mikel Albisu Iriarte, «Mikel Antza», and Soledad Iparragirre Genetxea, «Anboto», have been arrested this morning in southern France, together with 19 other people. Police say they have also recovered an important number of arms as a result of raids which led to the arrests.
According to reports, these latest raids, which have led to 21 arrests, represent the most important operation carried out by authorities against ETA since the famous Bidart raids in 1992.
Mikel Albisu Iriarte and Soledad Iparragirre Genetxea are partners, and have been arrested this morning in Salis-de-Bèarn where they were found with their young child. The other 19 people arrested and charged for belonging to an armed group have been caught in other southern areas of France. At the time of writing, officials still do not consider the operation to have finished.
Meanwhile, as a result of these raids, police have found an important arsenal of weapons, including part of what is thought to be the dinamite robbed some time ago in Grenoble. The French Interior Ministry has said that weapons of war have been found (such as hand granades, machine guns etc) aswell as money.
Over one hundred policemen from different units have participated in this operation.
i am doing a report on the ETA so thanks for your help
Hello! Glad you found it useful. You might also be interested in today’s blog about the explosives planted in Madrid yesterday by ETA: https://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2004/12/eta-explosives-in-madrid-cause-traffic.htm
(and the links to other news stories about the Spanish terrorist group at the end of today’s article too).
Good luck with your project!
I’m sorry to hear of such a loving country as Madrid Spain and the issues of ongoing terrorism, but whether the ETA or some other radical bloodsheding group. The idea of negotiating with terrorists is like trying to make a pet out of an alligator. Their agenda is always self-serving and at your expense. Nothing works better then after having rounded up all the perpetrators and their family members, including women, children and old people, you simply walk them all to the gallows for an immediate public hanging! Anyone who impinges on the freedom of Spain, ‘terrorists groups’, you must bring the fight to them. Where they boldly bomb restaurants or subways, etc., you remove an entire neighborhood of their residency– regardless of what is popular, you must make your country safe. You must, as with all countries, make terrorism so horrific that it’s unthinkable to attack Spain or any other country on any level. Anything short of that is to undermine your freedom and your own way of life!
Prim Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero must chooses between defending his countrymen, making Spain safe, from any who would try to bring harm to this beloved country or cower under the tactics of terrorism with useless negotiations. Hopefully the Prim Minister will take the bull by the horns and eradicate all who oppose Spain’s freedom, anything less should be considered unacceptable!
Pumaman