Parcel Bomb Blast at SpainA parcel bomb exploded Thursday in front of a Madrid bank, injuring at least 10 people, including a retired general, and causing extensive damage, news reports said. Police blamed Basque separatists.The explosion occurred around 8:30 a.m in front of the Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria bank in Calle Lopez de Hoyes in the center of the city. Police immediately cordoned off the area, Former Gen. Justo Oreja Pedraza was among the injured, the state news agency EFE said. Three people were reported to be in serious condition, EFE said. No one claimed responsibility, but police immediately blamed the Basque separatist group ETA. ETA has claimed responsibility for 31 killings since it ended a 14-month-old cease-fire in Dec. 1999. Overall, its 33-year-old campaign for an independent Basque homeland straddling northern Spain and southwest France has killed around 800 people. |
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