Basque terror hits tourists

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 9

Basque terror hits tourists

NZPA-Reuter Madrid Basque guerrillas wounded two tourists in a bomb attack on the Spanish holiday resort of Marbella on Saturday and then warned: “Tomorrow we bomb Castellon.”

The two Belgian tourists, a -woman of 24 and a 34-year-old man, were the first casualties of a Basque campaign to wreck Spain’s Mediterranean tburist industry. Both were severely injured when a bomb blasted an icecream kiosk as they sunbathed on a beach outside the southern resort of Marbella. It was the seventh bomb planted by Basque separatists at Spanish sunshine resorts in 35 hours.

The political-military wing of the Basque group, E.T.A. (Free Basque Homeland), claimed responsibility in a communique to Basque news organisations. It said more bombs would go off on Sunday in the eastern coastal province of Castellon, north of Valencia. Castellon’s best-known resort is Peniscola.

Spanish officials feared an exodus of foreign tourists after the Basque guerrillas launched the terror campaign.

On Friday six bombs exploded in the popular sunspots of Benidorm, Malaga, and Narbella. The E.T.A. guerrillas, who are fighting for an independent, Marxist

State in the northern Basque county, claimed responsibility for three of the blasts. The earlier blasts were all small and caused very little damage and no injuries. A Government spokesman, Josep Melia, told a late night press conference that the Cabinet had discussed the bombings.

He said the Government was making efforts abroad to try to avert mass cancellations of bookings which informed sources said would seriously damage Spain's shaky economy. Mr Melia did not elaborate on the government moves.

There were some reports of holidaymakers packing their bags and going home after the explosions. But European holiday firms said there was little reaction so far from package-tour clients.

Almost 40 million foreigners visited Spain last year, making tourism the country’s biggest source of foreign currency and a vital prop to the economy. E.T.A.’s political-military wing said it was taking its campaign to the tourist areas because the government had refused to improve conditions at a jail where about IQO E.T.A. suspects are being held. The guerrillas’ politicalmilitary wing is more moderate than their military branch which has killed more than 40 people this year.