A civilian cook employed by the Spanish navy was murdered in a bomb attack early yesterday morning in the Basque town of San Sebastian. Mr Ramon Diez Garcia (51) became this year's first victim of terrorist violence when his car exploded as he was driving to work at the naval barracks.
One of his two children, who is pregnant with her first child, witnessed her father's murder as she left their apartment block. Five passers-by were also injured in the attack, although their condition is not serious.
Although no organisation has claimed responsibility for the blast, the Spanish government spokesman wasted no time in categorically putting the blame on the Basque separatist movement ETA.
Thousands of Spaniards across the country attended spontaneous silent protests within hours of the assassination, and larger ones are planned to coincide with the funeral later today.
Members of parliament in Madrid and those of the Basque parliament in Vitoria assembled on the steps of their offices to show their revulsion at the latest murder, and the Workers' Commission (CC.OO) trade union, of which Mr Diez was a lifelong member, has called for peaceful demonstrations in Madrid and in San Sebastian.
Yesterday's San Sebastian bombing is the third ETA attack this week, although two of them were frustrated.
A 60 kg car-bomb was defused in the prosperous Bilbao suburb of Neguri after police had evacuated the residents of an entire street. Neguri has been targeted by ETA several times.
The authorities claim to have destroyed an ETA cell, known as a commando group, in Barcelona and uncovered valuable information on their planned activities, including a plan to assassinate a leading journalist, Luis del Olmo.
The operation began two weeks ago when they arrested two alleged terrorists in a car packed with explosives which police suspect was going to be planted in the city centre. Twenty-four hours later they detained the man believed to have been their accomplice.
They later detained a radical Catalan nationalist, the 24-yearold son of a senior police officer, who they believe was collaborating with ETA for acts of terrorism.
In the documentation uncovered in the Barcelona operation police found that ETA had identified an Audi 80 car belonging to Mr Inaki Urdangarin, the son-in-law of King Juan Carlos.
After following the car for some time the terrorists discovered that Mr Urdangarin was no longer driving it and had passed it on to Princess Alexia of Greece, daughter of ex-King Constantine of the Hellenes and niece of Don Juan Carlos.