ETA new military chief arrested in South of France

ETA new military chief arrested in South of France
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By h.b. - Dec 9, 2008 - 6:54 AM

From left to right, Iriondo, Zarrabeita and Artetxe

Aitzol Iriondo Yarza was arrested with two other alleged Basque terrorists.

The man considered to be the military chief of Basque terrorist group ETA, Aitzol Iriondo Yarza, has been arrested in the south of France with two other ETA activists.

The arrests took place on Monday in Bagnères de Bigorre, in a joint operation between the French Police and the Guardia Civil, with the other two arrested ETA members named as Eneko Zarrabeitia and Asier Borrero.

In a parallel operation three more arrests were made in Irún.
31 year old Aitzol Iriondo, known as ‘Gurbita’, has only been the military chief of the terrorists since the man known as ‘Txeroki’ was arrested only last month. He is considered to be more hard line than his predecessor, one of ETA’s top shooters, and was among the top six ETA terrorists being searched for by the Police and Guardia Civil. He is thought to have been the man behind the attack which saw the death of two Guardia Civil in Capbreton.

Aitzol Iriondo - Photo Ministry for the Interior

The authorities consider that with his arrest they have broken up the new chiefs of the terrorist group.

Spanish Minister for the Interior, Alfredo Pérez-Rubalcaba, said the arrests came as a result of the investigations which had taken place after the arrest of ‘Txeroki’. He said the three men arrested in France were armed at the time.

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