Spanish police arrest nine Basque suspects

Police arrested nine people with suspected links to the Basque group Ekin yesterday, the Interior Ministry said, the first arrests since the weakened rebel group Eta called a halt to armed attacks.

Ekin is suspected of having political links with Eta, which has killed more than 850 people in five decades of armed struggle for an independent state in northern Spain.

Eta announced a ceasefire on 5 September, but the Spanish government said the declaration was inadequate and urged the movement to renounce violence for good.