Spain has taken action against Basque separatists, banning two political parties for alleged links with the terror group ETA.

Anti-terrorist judge Baltazar Garzon suspended the ANV and the PCTV parties for three years, preventing them from contesting next month’s elections.

His move follows what police believe was ETA’s first terrorist attack of 2008, in the Basque town of Bergara.

A bomb exploded outside a court building in the early hours of this morning, causing some damage but no injuries.

Police said security guards had been withdrawn after a warning call.

Bergara has been the hit by ETA attacks before. The town has been run by the ANV party, which has now been banned.

With elections due on March 9, Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is under fire for launching peace talks with ETA, which then collapsed.

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