10.06.05
ETA, the Basque separatist group, attacked Zaragoza airport in Spain with home-made mortars today. The attacks forced holidaymakers to flee the airport and may have signaled the start of a campaign by the group against tourist targets.
At least two mortars were fired at Zaragoza airport today. Police confirmed that two home-made mortar launchers had been found in undergrowth near the airport and a search was continuing to see if there were any more. There were no injuries in the attack, and it is currently unclear exactly the mortars exploded.
A Ryanair flight from Stansted airport was diverted to a nearby military airport after Eta issued a warning saying that there would be an attack on the civilian airport. A Ryanair spokeswoman said: 'The aircraft parked at a military [base] and all passengers disembarked. The passengers and aircraft remained [there] until the security alert at the airport had ended. Passengers were then coached to Zaragoza.'
Passengers on the return flight waited in a safe zone outside the airport, whilst flights to and from the airport were suspended. The flight eventually left from the military airport more than two hours late.
The attack appeared to confirm police worries that Eta would carry out attacks on tourism targets this summer, despite rumours that it may be about to enter into peace talks with the Spanish government. Although the telephoned warning telephone call made to the Basque newspaper Gara gave police less than an hour to evacuate the airport, it may indicate that Eta is taking measures to avoid killing anyone while the promise of talks remain.
Eta has killed more than 800 people during the three decades of violence since it took up arms to campaign for an independent Basque state. But a much weakened Eta has not killed anyone for more than two years after a sustained police crackdown has taken the number of its members in jail up to 700.
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero repeated earlier this week that he was prepared to talk to Eta if the conditions were right. 'If the government finds proof that there is a chance Eta is willing to abandon arms and stop using violence for ever, of course the government will talk to search for peace,' he said.
The Spanish government has drawn some criticism for saying it is ready to hold peace talks with Eta if the group lays down its weapons. Some 250,000 took to the streets of Madrid last week to tell the government that it should not deal with terrorists.
