Spain interior minister dismisses cease-fire announcement by Basque separatist group ETA

Spain dismisses Basque separatist group’s truce

MADRID — Spain’s interior minister has dismissed a cease-fire announcement by the Basque separatist group ETA and says police will be as tough as ever against the armed militants.

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba says ETA’s statement on Sunday falls short of what Basque society and other Spaniards demand from the militant group, which is that it renounce violence for good.

The minister told Spanish National Television Monday he is convinced ETA will continue with other illegal activities like trying to amass weapons.

Rubalcaba says the militant group has declared the truce because it is so weak it cannot stage attacks.

Its last deadly attack in Spain was in July of last year, when it killed two policemen with a car bomb. Nearly 240 of its members have been arrested since 2008.