04/20/2008
A bomb ripped through the office of the ruling Socialist Party in the Basque town of Elgoibar early on Sunday, following a warning from the armed Basque group ETA, Basque police said.
No one was hurt, reports said, as police had received a telephoned warning in time to clear the area. However, damage to buildings was extensive.
According to Basque Interior Department, the attack took place at 03:25 when the bomb exploded in front of the office of the ruling Socialist Party in the Basque town of Elgoibar. An anonymous caller in ETA’s name phoned the Roadside Emergency Service DYA to announce that a bomb would explode in front of the office of PSE.
Alerted to the announcement, Basque police cordoned off the area and evacuated the nearby buildings. Soon before the bomb exploded, explosive experts of the Basque police found a suspicious package outside PSE office. At 03:25 the artifact exploded causing serious damage. The blast was strong enough to buckle nearby cars and shatter windows, according to the same information sources, which informed that the area remains cordoned off.
PSE-EE sources have informed that this office has been attacked half a dozen times, the most recent occasion was last December.
3 kilograms of explosives
Elgoibar’s mayor, Alfredo Etxeberria, has categorically condemned the explosion that took place in the early morning, and as he has stated that about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of explosives shattered the offices, damaged parked cars and broke windows along the street.
Etxeberria has also said that Basque police are investigating thea area, since they want to examine the area "in daylight".
Board of Spokesmen and rallies
Elgoibar’s mayor, Alfredo Etxebarria (Basque Nationalist party PNV), has announced a meeting of the Board of Spokesmen for tomorrow at nine o¿clock in the morning to condemn the attack.
Moreover, a rally will take place tomorrow morning opposite the city council in Elgoibar at twelve and another one opposite PSE office at seven in the evening.
Second attack in 72 hours
This attack is the second one of the armed band ETA in less than 72 hours against PSE offices. The attack was similar to a bombing blamed on the Basque armed group ETA on Thursday outside a Socialist office in the city of Bilbao, which wounded 7 police officers.
The sixth attack against PSE after breaking ceasefire peace deal
Today’s attack has been the sixth one perpetrated by ETA against socialists after breaking the ceasefire peace deal.
It is the fourth one against a socialist office, after the ones perpetrated in Balmaseda and Derio (Biscay) on December 24th and February 29th respectively.
ETA has perpetrated two more attacks against socialists, in which former socialist city councilor Isaías Carrasco was killed and the one in which Gabriel Gines, the scort of PSE-EE’s councillor, Juan carlos Domingo was injured in Galdakano, Biscay.
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