Regional Basque police are hunting for two men and a woman believed responsible for the car bomb attack on the headquarters of the EITB TV and radio station on New Year's Eve.

It seems that the female member of the cell was responsible for parking the Citroen Jumpy van packed with around 100kg at the back of the building, and that she then fled on foot to the Olabeaga district, where she was picked up by her two male accomplices in a Citroen C-2 stolen at gunpoint shortly before the attack.

It has also emerged that, before stealing the Jumpy eventually used, the terrorists had tried, unsuccessfully, to hijack another van, but the female driver put her foot down and managed to escape.

Firemen and council cleaners have now cleared most of the shattered glass from the EITB building, which did not suffer major structural damage, although it will take several months to complete the repairs.

Notwithstanding, staff have returned to work and output has only been minimally disrupted.

ETA target Basque TV HQ in fresh car bomb attack
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Substantial damage has been caused to the headquarters of the EITB Basque regional TV station in Bilbao by a car bomb placed by ETA.

The blast occurred shortly after 11am just over an hour after a warning call to the Basque fire service also advising that the owner of the vehicle used in the attack had been tied to a tree in mountains near Arrigorriaga, close to the Venta Alta water purification facility.

He has since been located and freed.

The call enabled the EITB HQ to be evacuated as well as the Termibús station and a number of other adjacent buildings, including El Mundo, Deia, Antena 3, Expansión and Onda Cero offices.

There are no reports of any casualties.

In their last communication, the terror group had warned that it would be targeting the media.

The EITB headquarters is located close to the entrance of the old exhibition centre opposite San Mamés stadium.