MADRID – A small bomb exploded Sunday in a restaurant on the Spanish island of Mallorca, hurting no one, and a second device was deactivated by police, the government said.
The attack happened just over a week after the Basque separatist group ETA killed two police officers on the island. Press reports said officers were searching the popular beach-front area Sunday for a possible third bomb.
The attack was staged just hours after ETA published a statement claiming responsibly for four other bombings this summer that killed three people and injured dozens more.
State broadcaster TVE said on its late afternoon news broadcast that the bomb that blew was in a beach bag hidden in the ceiling of a women's toilet in the restaurant, and the second device was also found in a beach-side eatery.
El Pais newspaper said Sunday's blast came after the restaurants had been evacuated following two phone calls made to a taxi company in the Basque region. The caller, who said he was calling on ETA's behalf, warned of the bombs.
The government said the bombs had been left at restaurants on the Can Pere Antoni beach front of the island's capital, Palma de Mallorca. The Mediterranean island resort is one of Europe's main tourist destinations.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox