Anti-bomb experts in Spain have defused three letter bombs, sent to high-profile targets across the country, including the Spanish Prime Minister and the Ukrainian Ambassador. A fourth device detonated, injuring a security officer at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid.
The packages are believed to have been sent from within the country, the country’s Deputy Interior Minister said. There appears to be a pro-Russian motive behind the attempted bombings, with many targets linked to Ukraine and its allies.
The bombs were sent in brown packages with a flammable powder enclosed, Rafael Perez, Junior Security Minister, told Reuters. The devices would have created a sudden burst of flames, rather than an explosion.
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Another device intercepted by security forces has been kept intact for investigative purposes. The Spanish Interior Ministry says that it will strengthen its security presence around public buildings and heighten its searches of mail. Spain’s High Court has opened an investigation into the bombing attempts.
Spain has refrained from raising its terrorist threat level, which is already elevated to its second-highest level following a wave of Islamist terror attacks within the last decade. In 2004, 193 people were killed by bombs planted on the Madrid commuter rail system. Terror group Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a comment to Reuters, a source close to the investigation said that the explosive devices "were not something anyone could make."
