French police have arrested the suspected military leader of the Basque separatist group ETA and three other suspected members of the organisation.
The spokesman said the arrests were made in a dawn raid on premises near the southwestern French town of Pau. He did not give the names of those arrested, adding they were being held in detention while police did searches.
Spanish news agencies identified the military commander as Gorka Palacios, wanted by police for a series of bombings. He was identified by Spanish police in 2000 as the alleged gunman who shot dead a 50-year old city councillor in front of his wife and daughter.