Bomb threat clears Spanish beaches
Five Spanish holiday beaches on the Costa Dorada were evacuated today after a bomb warning was received, possibly from Basque terrorists, authorities said.
Two calls were received by the Basque newspaper Gara, which often serves as a mouthpiece for the separatist group Eta, the Interior Ministry said.
No mention was made of Eta in the first call warning a bomb had been placed at a popular Mediterranean beach in Sant Carles de la Rapita in Tarragona province, south of Barcelona, a ministry official said.
Officials are still trying to determine whether the second warning was made in name of Eta, the official said.
Five beaches in Tarragona have been evacuated and are being searched for bombs, said the Interior Ministry office in the Catalonia region, which includes Tarragona.
The official said bomb warnings that turned out to be false alarms were received on Sunday and Tuesday for Sant Carles de la Rapita.
At the weekend, the interior ministry published photos of six suspected Eta activists it believes might be preparing to target tourists during the peak summer season.
In February, Eta called a truce in Catalonia – the north-east region that includes Tarragona.
