Spanish forces put on alert

Press, 20 April 1982, Page 8

Spanish forces put on alert

NZPA-Reuter Madrid Spain’s armed forces will take on key security duties today to combat a wave of guerrilla attacks which could threaten the World Cup soccer competition starting on June 13. Gunmen, believed to be members of the separatist group, E.T.A. (Basque Homeland and Freedom), yesterday blew up Madrid’s biggest telephone exchange, cutting up to 700,000 national and international lines, including those of several Ministries.

Five people were slightly injured in the blast. The Prime Minister (Dr Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo) held an emergency meeting of senior Ministers, and the Interior Minister (Mr Juan Jose Roson) said on television that Spain faced a grave situation and that the armed forces had been ordered to take on specific security duties. Interior Ministry sources said they would include guarding ’ key communications and energy installations and extra patrols on the French border in the Pyrenees and along the Atlantic seaboard.

Mr Roson twice during the day met senior security officials. The anti-terrorist command subsequently announced a reward of $128,000 for information leading to

the arrest of an E.T.A. guerrilla.

Mr Roson told the nation: “We are in a grave situation following the bloody attacks by E.T.A. in recent days ... but we are going to win this battle.”

The separatist organisation on Friday gave security forces 30 days to leave the Basque country or face increased attacks, posing a serious threat to security in the run-up to the World Soccer Cup competition opening in Spain on June 13. Suspected E.T.A. guerrillas yesterday staged three antitank grenade attacks in northern Spain, killing a policeman and wounding eight security officers. Top security officials said recently that E.T.A., which fights for an independent, Marxist Basque coountry, had been cornered by the police and it could try to launch a large desperate offensive. The last time the armed forces were given a direct role in internal security was after an abortive military coup a year ago, when they were placed along the French border.

Uncontrolled separatist violence was given as one of the motives behind last year’s coup attempt, for which 32 officers and one civilian are on trial in Madrid.