The Basque separatist organization ETA planted two car bombs, both in seaside resorts, killing one police officer and resuming a past strategy of targeting places frequented by tourists.
The fatal car bomb exploded at Rosas, a tourist resort on Spain's northeast Costa Brava coast, while another was detonated by bomb disposal experts on the sea front in Gandia, a resort in the eastern province of Valencia.
Callers claiming to speak for ETA had warned fire brigades and the pro-separatist Basque newspaper Gara of the planned bombings. Gara, which has close connections to separatists in the Basque city of San Sebastian, has often been used by ETA in calls claiming its actions.
The car bomb at Rosas, in Catalonia, was planted opposite the Montecarlo Hotel, which was housing some 60 guests.
Police sources said it went off late Saturday, seven minutes before the time announced, probably in a bid to kill or wound police officers.
The dead officer, 33-year-old Santo Santamaria Avedano, was hit by a piece of metal more than 100 metres (yards) from the bomb site, as he helped seal off the area from the public. One of his colleagues was among those slightly hurt.
Avedano was the fifth person killed in attacks attributed to ETA this year, and the 796th since ETA began its violent campaign in 1968, according to Spanish interior ministry figures.
The Gandia car bomb was also planted near a hotel. The controlled explosion damaged several buildings and about 20 cars, but caused no injuries.
Both attacks took place during the weekend, as the resorts were full of tourists.
The Valencia region is celebrating its annual Fallas festival, with 100,000 people expected to take part in celebrations Sunday and Monday.
Spain's much visited Mediterranean coast was targeted by ETA in the past, with a view to harming the country's tourist industry and broadening the impact of ETA's action.
The Rosas bombing, followed a police action against ETA's Catalonia cell on February 11, when two ETA members were arrested as they were driving a car laden with explosives through the center of Barcelona, the Catalan capital.
The attacks came in the run-up to regional elections in Spain.
Catalan Interior Minister Xavier Pomes, who visited the site of the attack, said ETA had taken advantage of the proximity of the border with France and the ease of crossing to bring the car bomb inside Spain.
The authorities have launched the "Jaula" (cage) action plan in Catalonia to try to prevent the bombers from escaping to France – MADRID (AFP)
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