Explosions hit two Spanish coastal cities today injuring at least one person after a newspaper received a warning call in the name of armed Basque separatist group ETA.
Santander and Gijon, some 130 km apart on Spain's northern coast, are packed with holidaymakers at this time of year and the explosions appeared to fit into ETA's strategy of seeking to undermine Spain's key tourism industry.
A small bomb exploded in one of Santander's busiest streets, close to a major office of Spain's biggest bank, Santander Central Hispano (SCH), and near regional government offices.
The bomb caused no injuries and only minor damage, officials said.
Almost simultaneously, another explosion occurred near a restaurant in Gijon, officials and news reports said.
It was not immediately confirmed that it was a bomb, but a police spokesman said one person had been injured.
The Santander bomb had been left in a bag, according to the web site of newspaper El Pais.
Police were searching the historic centre of Santander in case there were more bombs, a regional government spokesman said. "All of the centre ... is cordoned off," he said.
"We are in high season. An event of this kind does not help tourism," he said.
An SCH spokesman said the Santander bomb had exploded close to the bank's historic headquarters but had not damaged the building. "It was a small explosion, like fireworks," he said.