18 people injured as ETA explodes bombs in seven Spanish cities

SMALL bombs exploded yesterday in seven cities around Spain after telephone warnings from callers claiming to speak on behalf of the armed Basque separatist group ETA, the Interior Ministry said.

At least 18 people were slightly injured in the nearly simultaneous blasts in Valladolid, Leon and Santillana del Mar in the north, Avila and Ciudad Real in central Spain, Alicante in the east, and Malaga in the south.

The blasts followed two telephone warnings to the Basque newspaper, Gara, from callers claiming to represent ETA that said bombs had been placed in seven cities throughout Spain.