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Spanish Authorities Detain Another Suspect in Madrid Bombings - 2004-03-16


Spanish authorities have detained at least one more person in the search for suspects in last week's deadly train bombings in Madrid.

Officials said on Tuesday that an Algerian man has been arrested in the northern city of San Sebastian. He reportedly had made threats of terrorist attacks on Madrid.

An earlier news report said authorities have identified six Moroccan nationals as possible suspects in the bombings.

Spain's Interior Ministry has not commented on the report.

Also Tuesday, a 45-year-old woman injured in the blasts died in a hospital, bringing the death toll from the March 11 attack to 201.

Spanish police arrested three Moroccans and two Indians on Saturday in connection with the bombings on commuter trains.

A major Spanish newspaper, El Pais, says two survivors of the blasts reported seeing one of the detained men, Jamal Zougam, just before the explosions.

Authorities are said to be investigating whether Mr. Zougam was also involved in a suicide bombing attack in Casablanca last May that killed 45 people.

The Madrid bombings were initially blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA, but Spanish officials are now looking into whether al-Qaida was involved.

The terrorists attacks sparked strong criticism of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Sunday, Spaniards went to the polls and voted for a new government. Prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he intends to stick to his campaign promise and withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq by June 30.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.

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