1980 Ispaster ambush (basque history)

ETA members

On 1980, ETA (M) (the main armed organization of basque country) prepared an attack against guardia civil (spanish military police) convoy. In this convoy, "guardia civil" were transporting mortars and grenades. They were moving that material to Lekeitio (Bizkaia south basque country).

At a bend of the road, ETA militants threw a grenade against the first "Land-Rover". After that, they started a gunfire using assault rifles and SMGs. In the gunfire a militant of ETA (Xabier Gorritxategi) and 6 spanish military police were killed.

They took the material from the vehicles and allowed workers going out. Another militant of ETA died (Goio Olabarria), when was preparing a trap bomb against police (for when they were reviewing the ambush site) in a land rover.

REACTIONS:

2 Basque militants were killed next days by spanish paramilitary groups. The government delegate of Euskadi was replaced by a militar. Two new special police groups were sent to basque country: GEO (Special operations group) and UAR (rural counterterrorism units). The next months, ETA(M) faced against these police groups. 

At that time, spanish government was very worried by Basque country situation where there were different armed groups (ETA (M), ETA (PM), Iraultza, Comandos Autonomos Anticapitalistas, Iparretarrak) and a strong social movement.