Basque Separatists Set Off Car Bomb Blast Wounds 12, But Target Escapes With Minor Injuries

Basque separatists detonated a bomb underneath the car taking a conservative opposition leader to his office Wednesday, wounding 12 people in an attack condemned by all political parties.

The bombing, which came only weeks before nationwide municipal elections May 28, only slightly wounded Jose Maria Aznar, leader of the opposition Popular Party, because of the vehicle’s armor plating.

Of the 12 people wounded, one was a 73-year-old woman who was crushed by debris in her one-story home and is listed in critical condition.

Police said the attack was an assassination attempt against Aznar, 42, by the Basque Homeland and Freedom group, known as ETA, its initials in the Basque language. It was one of the boldest attacks by the Basque separatist group since the 1973 assassination of Francoist Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, also in a car bombing.

Police reported that more than 50 pounds of explosives had been used in the remote-controlled explosion, which destroyed Aznar’s and 14 other cars and severely damaged nearby buildings in a residential area in Madrid.

The conservative Popular Party is expected to score large gains in the municipal elections and is a frequent target of ETA guerrillas.

In January, the group claimed responsibility for killing Gregorio Ordonez, the Popular Party candidate for mayor of San Sebastian.