Basque leader arrested in France

Published on Sunday 19 April 2009 14:00

French police have arrested the suspected leader of Basque separatist group ETA as part of cross-border raids, Spain's Interior Ministry said.

He was among nine alleged ETA members arrested in recent days.

Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso, 28, was arrested on Friday in the small village of Montauriol in southeast France, the ministry said.

It was another blow to ETA, which has had to cope with the arrests of three of its alleged leaders in less than six months and a wave of other detentions in France and Spain in recent months.

Martitegi allegedly took over ETA's leadership following the arrest of the previous suspected commander, Aitzol Iriondo, in December.

Martitegi was caught along with Alexander Uriarte Cuadrado, 27, and a third, unnamed, suspect, authorities said. Three guns, two cars -- one with false licence plates -- and suspected bomb-making equipment were seized.

Six other suspected ETA members were arrested in an operation in Spain's northern Basque region. They ranged in age from 25 to 31.

ETA has waged a violent campaign that has claimed more than 825 lives since the late 1960s for an independent Basque state straddling northern Spain and southwest France.

Iriondo was arrested in southern France on December 8, three weeks after his alleged predecessor, Mikel de Garikoitz Aspiazu, alias Txeroki, was caught in France.

France's Interior Ministry said five suspected ETA militants had been arrested in 10 days, including the three arrests on Saturday.