A car-bomb exploded in Madrid Wednesday, injuring at least 42, at a time when the authorities of Spain escalated their campaign against the separatist organization Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA).

Interior Minister Jose Alonso said the attack occurred at 09:30local time (0830 GMT) and the authorities captured 14 ETA members in the Basque provinces of Navarra, Valencia and Cadiz, in swoops carried out since Tuesday.

According to the authorities, all of the detainees collected information on possible targets for terrorist attacks.

Alonso said the car bomb exploded five minutes ahead of the time mentioned by the ETA in a telephone call to Basque daily Gara.

The minister said the vehicle was loaded with 20 to 30 kilograms of explosives and was placed in the Don Juan roundabout, in front of the Campo de las Naciones exposition center, at Madrid.

At Guipuzcoa, Navarra and Valencia eight, four and two ETA members, were detained respectively.

The attack occurred near the Ifema exposition center, where King Juan Carlos and Mexican President Vicente Fox have plans to inaugurate Wednesday an international fair of contemporary art dedicated to the Latin American country.

Most of the victims were employees of informatics firm Bull, outside whose building the car-bomb was placed. The explosion shattered windows of buildings nearby.

Of the 42 injured, 24 were taken to different hospitals of the city and 18 released from medical attention. Among the injured are five agents who participated in the cordoning-off of the zone.

Madrid considers ETA -- which fights for the independence of the Basque territories in Spain -- a terrorist organization. This separatist group is only active in Spain, but not in France where there are also Basque territories.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2005)