attack hotel attack carried gal state sponsored death squad september france targets members military spanish government believed senior figures organisation terrorist group spain france people killed fifth person apparently unconnected injured shooting represented deadliest attack carried gal participants shortly shooting controversy surrounded possible involvement senior figures spanish police attack similar attacks carried gal major issue spanish general election supreme court trial established provided clandestine funding gal spanish interior minister security chief jailed years kidnapping public funds finance group gal scandal seen key factor losing election senior figures denied knowledge involvement background favourite haven leadership lived base training infrastructure planning attacks operated crossing border spain carry attacks fleeing france led complaints spain french authorities tackle activity preferring leave conflict spanish deal larger towns french country main bases organisation onwards prompted reaction anti groups april town bombed injured june alleged member killed right wing paramilitary group active vanished onwards gal began carrying similar attacks occurred october alleged members disappeared mutilated bodies found unsuccessful kidnapping attempt occurred following day december alleged member alleged leader assassinated gal separate incidents prior attack people killed injured separate attacks town targets targets attack members according spanish authorities long history organisation arrested freed gunpoint believed cell particularly active attacks province begun activity arrested spanish police connection large haul guns explosives discovered arrested french police leader military area according spanish police sources belonged sega cell military according spanish police fled france arrested french police charged possession illegal weapons trial pending time death believed charge cross border operations belonged information gathering cell fled france attack attack occurred wednesday evening football game featuring spain iceland shown participants exited car carrying machine guns opened fire bar bullets shattered skull victims hit fourth heart targets killed instantly fourth dying shortly hospital fifth person injured hit foot survived attack attackers fled foot streets pursued group refugees witnessed attack caught handed french police having thrown weapons river near hotel believed members underworld french police police later retrieved calibre pistols river attack managed escape car vehicle later found abandoned gal claimed responsibility telephone day attack military released statement confirming killed belonged organisation reactions president condemned attack attacks like help consolidate democracy overcome problems violence society attack provoke response spiral violence voiced suspicion attacks dirty war carried spanish state political wing accused spanish secret services attacks delivered letter protest french criticising french perceived killers time governing party spain condemned incident attack freedom people chairman stated believe solution violence similar terrorists trying score issued statements condemning attack organised numerous protests incident times resulted street violence arrests organised general strike limited home towns killed trials trial opened november france previously released serving year year sentence armed assault retracted previous confession acknowledged set kill members stated recruited members spanish secret services francis bar port trips receive instructions attack city hotel days attack claimed francis offered carrying attack person killed francis met supplying weapons attack identities desired targets identified francis police sub commissioner hotel records showed stayed hotel time french judges issued international arrest warrant spokesman denied charges december defendants sentenced life imprisonment recommendation serve years prison sentence subsequently reduced years prison attack identified lawyers prosecution suspected recruited mercenaries spanish police officer french origin worked april security employee casino stated seen occasions company gal mercenaries march case relation attack dropped lack evidence september sentenced years prison organising gal attacks november judge reopened case attack subsequently implicated case director state security head spanish secret service head anti terrorist squad denied accusations case closed october declaring suspicions remained involvement accused insufficient evidence prosecute consequences author argued gal campaign caused french spanish refugees causing rapid decline local economy especially tourism business news spread bars region coastal resorts targets terrorist group consequently french authorities began change stance refugees increasing cross border cooperation spanish counterparts involved members countries putting greater restrictions remained case similar cases came light gal issue increasingly controversial 1990s questions members spanish government state security service known group operations places like extent supported funded attacks major issue spanish general election spanish interior minister security chief implicated gal case jailed years kidnapping public funds finance gal corruption scandals poor state spanish economy mid-1990s gal scandal seen key factor defeat
Monbar Hotel attack