10 hurt in Madrid bomb blast
2001-06-28 12:42
Madrid - A package bomb exploded in
central Madrid on Thursday, injuring at least 10 people,
including a retired Spanish general, in an attack that bore the
hallmarks of the Basque separatist group ETA, officials said.
The general, identified by state radio as Justo Oreja, was
the apparent target of the bombing.
He was reported to be in serious condition with severe
burns, but the radio said his injuries were not
life-threatening.
The parcel exploded outside the branch office of a Basque bank during morning rush hour, injuring passers-by and causing
heavy damage to the area.
It was not clear whether the retired general was on foot or
in a car when the bomb was detonated by remote control.
Police cordoned off the surrounding neighbourhood as
firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene. A field tent
was hastily erected to treat the injured.
ETA has been blamed for around 800 killings in its 33-year
campaign for an independent Basque homeland carved out of
northern Spain and southwestern France.
The group's last attack in Madrid was a car bombing on the
eve of the Basque regional elections in mid-May.