La Rigoleta restaurant on the Can Pere Antoni beachfront in Palma

Panic but no injuries as Eta warns of explosions

Two small bombs went off today and a third was defused in locations across Palma. No one was injured in the explosions and there was little damage to property. A preliminary warning was given by Eta at around 11:00 in the morning, said to have been made from a telephone in France with the caller using a voice distorter. The information given in the call was said to be incorrect, in terms of the time and location of the blasts.

Government officials say that one bomb exploded in La Rigoleta restaurant on the Can Pere Antoni beachfront in Palma, and the second in an underground passage at the central Plaza Mayor square. Officers deactivated a third bomb left at Bar Enco. A search for a possible fourth bomb turned up nothing.

State-run broadcaster TVE said in an afternoon news bulletin that one of the bombs that exploded was in a beach bag hidden in the ceiling of a women’s bathroom in the restaurant.

The restaurant had been evacuated following two phone calls made to a taxi company in the Basque region, El Pais reports. The caller, who said he was calling on Eta’s behalf, warned of the bombs.

Eta recently claimed responsibility for the last week’s bombings in Palma Nova and Burgos, which killed three people. The group has been responsible for the deaths of 825 people since it began its violent struggle in 1968.