A Spanish policeman was shot dead and another seriously wounded by suspected members of the separatist Basque group ETA in southwestern France Saturday, police said.
The civil guard was killed during a joint Spanish-French operation against the group in the French resort of Capbreton, near the southern city of Biarritz.
The suspects escaped, and further details have so far been unavailable.
This was the first confirmed killing by ETA since the group ended its self-imposed 15-month ceasefire in June. The group was believed to have conducted the Madrid Barajas International Airport bombing in December 2006, during which two people were killed.
ETA, which stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom, has killed more than 800 people in four decades of armed struggle for an independent Basque country in northern Spain and southwestern France.
Spanish and French police often launch joint operations against the armed organization, which is classified as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Source: Xinhua
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