Four blasts in northern Spain, ETA blamed

Four bombs exploded at popular seaside resorts in Cantabria, northern Spain today, after warning calls from the Basque separatist group ETA but no casualties were reported.

The explosions marked the beginning of ETA's (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) traditional summer bombing campaign in which it targets Spanish holiday resorts as part of its four-decade struggle for an independent Basque state in northern Spain and southern France.

The government says ETA has been severely weakened after a string of arrests but today's attacks showed the group has no intention of abandoning its armed struggle any time soon.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero broke off a peace process with ETA in 2006 after the group killed two Ecuadorians when it exploded a car bomb at Madrid's Barajas international airport.

The first bomb exploded on a seafront promenade in Laredo, one northern Spain's most popular holiday destinations, damaging the walkway, breaking windows and sending a 25m plume of smoke into the air, an official said.

"There were no injuries because the area had been cleared and cordoned off," a national government spokesman said.

Weakened, still fighting
The second bomb went off around 40 minutes later in dunes at Noja, about 30km from Laredo, causing a loud blast but no damage, Spanish media reported.

The third explosion was next to a Red Cross post in Laredo, close to where the first device went off, officials said. The fourth bomb exploded on a golf course at Noja.

ETA usually gives a warning before attacking civilian targets but gives no notice of attacks on security, government and political officials.

The group is listed as a terrorist organisation by Spain, the United States and the European Union. It has killed more than 800 people since 1968, typically with car bombs or shootings.

The Cantabria blasts were the first attributed to ETA since May 14 when the separatists exploded a bomb without warning at the Civil Guard barracks in Legutiano, killing policeman Juan Manuel Pinuel-Villalon and injuring 4 others.- Reuters