One of the top political leaders of ETA was arrested last night in a joint operation by the French and Spanish authorities.
Top ETA leader Francisco Javier López Peña, alias ‘Thierry’, was detained last night along with three other alleged ETA members, Igor Zuberbiola, Jon Salaberría and Ainhoa Ozaeta. Members of the Guardia Civil and French Gendarmerie had been watching the group since 18:00 yesterday and at 23:00 they moved in and made the arrests.
All four ETA members are believed to have been armed but offered no resistance. The arrests took place in the southern French town of Burdeos.
Thierry was involved in the talks between the government and ETA before the end of the truce and the authorities consider him to be accountable for the subsequent bombings and killings.