Nine arrested in anti-terror raids

Police have arrested nine people suspected of leading a group considered part of the violent Basque separatist organisation Eta, Spain’s Interior Ministry said today.

Today’s pre-dawn raids marked the first Eta-related arrests since the group announced a new ceasefire on September 5.

The government responded to that with scepticism and said it would not ease up one bit on Eta or people close to it.

A ministry statement said the new arrests dismantled the core leadership of a Basque civic organisation called Ekin.

Spain’s National Court ruled in 2007 that Ekin is in effect part of Eta, and declared Ekin to be illegal.

A ministry official said the detainees are accused of offences including trying to resurrect Ekin.