Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 04, 2004
Blast hits building where Spanish police seek terrorists
A blast hit a building at around 09:00 p.m. local time (1900 GTM) Saturday in Leganes, near the capital Madrid, where several people allegedly holding ties with Islamic terrorism were hiding.
A blast hit a building at around 09:00 p.m. local time (1900 GTM) Saturday in Leganes, near the capital Madrid, where several people allegedly holding ties with Islamic terrorism were hiding.
Police effectives stationed in the area said the explosion was produced in a controlled way.
Agents of the Police National Corp along with the Leganes' local police were conducting an operation to arrest three young men with Maghreb features hiding in a building of this Madrilenian municipality, as a part of a raid allegedly in connection with the attempts that hit Madrid last March 11 killing 191 people and wounding some 1,500.
Sources closely tied to the raid said helicopters are overflying the area and illuminating the building with strong lights, and the police are widening their cordon to prevent an escape.
At least another helicopter has landed near the building and eye witnesses said a shoot-out took place.
The four-story building is located at 13 Irene Fernandez street,called Madres de Mayo (May Mothers), between the neighborhoods of Zarzaquemada and Leganes Norte, where the train station of Zarzaquemada is located.
A large number of the zone's buildings were evacuated and traffic was cut in the near roads.
One of the eyewitness said several men dressed as civilians but strongly armed arrived to a house where children were playing and quickly moved them away from the scene, to immediately enter the building.