ETA crackdown ongoing after “leader” arrest

Spanish police say they have made further arrests of suspected ETA members after the capture of the Basque separatist group’s alleged military chief yesterday.

Jurdan Martitegi was seized in the southern French town of Montauriol in an operation involving Spanish and French police.

Spanish officials say two other suspected militants were arrested along with Martitegi and that all three were armed.

He is the third alleged top leader of ETA to have been captured in the past six months.

The Spanish government says it shows ETA will be defeated. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: “The terrorists know that democracy and the state security forces – doing their impeccable duty – are going to bring and end to violence in the Basque Country and in the rest of Spain.”

Spanish police also arrested 6 other suspected ETA members in the hours following Martitegi’s capture. They were detained in separate raids across the Basque country.

They say the anti-terrorist operations are continuing in the region.

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tags: Basque country, France