Spain vows to keep up pressure on Eta

Spain vowed today to crush the Basque separatist group Eta following the arrest of its alleged leader and seizure of a vast weapons arsenal in raids in France described as virtually decapitating the organisation.

Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso called yesterday’s arrests of the suspected leader, his female companion and 19 other suspects “an extremely hard blow to the terrorist gang”. But he said Spanish security forces could not let down their guard.