Bomb attack frightens tourists in southern Spain

29 July 2008

MADRID – A bomb exploded early Tuesday at the southern Spanish beach resort of Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol, with no injuries reported, police told local media.

The explosion at 12:20 am was under a footbridge and near two hotels. There was no warning before the explosion.

Police have cordoned off the area and are investigating whether it was an attack by the Basque terrorist organisation ETA.

A hotel employee told El Mundo newspaper that many hotel guests, primarily Spaniards and British, were scared and reported seeing dark clouds of smoke.

On Monday, a bomb attack attributed to the Basque separatist group ETA in northern Spain in the town of Orio, near the port city of San Sebastian damaged a construction company but there were no injuries, police said.

Reports said officials believed the attack in Orio is the Basque separatist group’s response to latest developments in which police arrested 12 suspected ETA members in raids in Spain and France, while breaking up the most active commando unit of the organisation.

[dpa / Flickr contributor manuelfloresv / Expatica]