Police arrested the suspected political leader of the Basque guerrilla group ETA, detained 20 others, and seized explosives, grenades and other weapons in a series of raids on Sunday, officials said. Hailed by authorities as a major blow to the outlawed separatist group in France and Spain, police arrested Mikel Albisu Iriarte, alias "Mikel Antza", said by Spanish authorities to have been ETA's political chief since 1993. He was arrested with his partner, another suspected ETA veteran, Soledad Iparraguirre, alias "Anboto", at Salies de Bearn in southwestern France. Accused of involvement in at least 14 murders, she is the highest-ranking woman in ETA, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement. A total of 20 people suspected of links to ETA were detained in France, where dozens of anti-terrorist and local police took part in raids in a search for ETA bases. Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said more than 1,000 kg of explosives of different types were found along with dozens of sub machine guns, grenades, grenade launchers, detonators and bullets. "This operation is historic," Alonso told reporters. "Despite this grave blow (to ETA) ... we continue on maximum alert, and won't let our guard down one single minute." --More 2154 Local Time 1854 GMT
