French police swoop on Basque separatists

At least 12 people have been arrested by police in the south of France, as part of an operation against people linked to Basque separatist groups.

Authorities say those taken into custody today are linked to Batasuna, the political wing of the armed group ETA, and another group that supports separatist prisoners.

Along with ETA, Batasuna has been outlawed in Spain, but is still legally allowed to operate in France.

The police raids in the Bayonne region come only hours after two people suspected of being senior ETA members were detained in France’s Loire region. One of them is Unai Fano, who is accused of being a crucial link between ETA and Batasuna.

Over the weekend three bomb attacks blamed on ETA struck the Basque region in Spain, and a neighbouring region.

A soldier was killed in one of the attacks, outside a military college in Cantabria. His funeral was held yesterday, attended by members of the government and the opposition.

Batasuna and ETA want independence for the Basque region, which is located in northern Spain and southern France.

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