MADRID — Three ETA terrorists went on trial on Thursday accused of planning a devastating attack on Madrid.

Izkur Badillo, Gorka Vidal and Benat Barrondo were arrested driving a lorry filled with half a tonne of explosives towards Madrid in February 2004.

The men allegedly planned to explode the lorry at an unknown target in the capital.

The timer on the bomb had not been activated when it was stopped by police.

Police said the accused were discovered with road maps of Madrid.

Irkus Badillo was allegedly in charge of setting off the bomb and Gorka Vidal was the driver.

They had planned to park the lorry bomb near the target, leave it and head back towards Bilbao before setting it off.

In this way they would evade police road blocks set up to catch escaping terrorists.

Vidal and Beñat Barrondo are both to appear as witnesses for the defence in the forthcoming trial of 29 men accused of the Madrid train bombings which killed 191 people in March 2004.

The trial is due to start on 15 February.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news