Five separatist bombs rattle Spain during EU summit

MADRID, Spain -- Five powerful explosions rattled Spanish cities during a two-day European summit that ended Saturday. The Basque separatist group ETA claimed responsibility.

No injuries were reported in two Saturday blasts in the southern city of Malaga and the northern city of Santander.

Altogether, four bombs and a package of explosives went off in three resorts on the Mediterranean Costa del Sol and in the northern cities of Saragossa and Santander on Friday and Saturday. Some of the bombs were hidden in stolen cars.

Callers claiming to speak for ETA warned authorities up to 50 minutes before each blast to evacuate danger zones.

The blasts on Friday propelled shreds of metal and glass, injuring 10 people, including several tourists and a Spanish policeman.

The attacks occurred despite a security mobilization that put army and air force units on maximum alert and set up police roadblocks across the country.

Prime Minister Jose-Maria Aznar accused ETA of seeking to create "a climate of threats and a landscape of destruction" during the summit and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

The violence embarrassed Aznar, who hoped to wrap up Spain's six-month European Union presidency with an incident-free summit in Seville, 90 miles from the closest explosion.

The meeting of EU leaders was preceded Thursday by a nationwide strike over unemployment benefits that partially paralyzed the nation.