ETA claim responsibility for Madrid explosion

A car bomb exploded in the Campo de las Naciones neighbourhood of Madrid on 9 February 2009. The blast broke the windows of buildings in the area and damaged 30 vehicles, but there were no reports of injuries. Authorities received a warning call in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA shortly before the explosion, giving them time to evacuate the area. A building housing a company involved in the construction of a high-speed rail line in the Basque country is located near the scene of the explosion, but it is not known if it was the target of the attack. Hours prior to the explosion, the Supreme Court ruled that two leftist Basque parties will be barred from participating in regional elections scheduled for 1 March 2009 due to their alleged links to ETA.