The Spanish Civil Guard made nine arrests on Wednesday in various locations across the Basque Country. All nine detainees, a number of them lawyers who frequently work on behalf of the Basque nationalist leftwing, stand accused of belonging to or working for ETA, anti-terrorist sources have informed.

Two arrests were made in Hernani on solicitors Jon Enparantza and Iker Sarriegi, while in Bilbao Arantza Zulueta, also a lawyer, and Erramun Landa were detained.

A further five people were arrested in towns around Biscay and Gipuzkoa, including nationalist union LAB member, José Luis Gallastegi, who was detained in Gernika; ex-prisoner Naia Zuriarrain in Bilbao, Saioa Agirre in Sopelana and Juan Mari Jauregi Zalakain and Asier Etxabe Azkue in Donostia-San Sebastián.

Suspected ETA-member 58-year-old José Domingo Aizpurua, known as "Pitxas" was the tenth person detained in Usurbil. "Pitxas" was previously found guilty in a French court of being the principal member of a wing of ETA known as "Halboka", responsible for taking charge of imprisoned members.

The detentions were ordered by National High Court judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska and are linked with papers seized in France during the arrest of the ex-''number one'' of ETA, Javier López Peña (known as Thierry), which also led to the rest of nationalist solicitor Joseba Agudo Mancisidor.

All nine people arrested in Wednesday''s operation stand accused of belonging to or working with the Basque armed group ETA.

Among other charges, the court accuses the nine detainees of working as messengers for ETA as well as assisting members of the group to escape arrest.

The operation remains open and armed police are currently searching the offices in Bilbao and Hernani of detained lawyers Jon Enparantza Iker Sarriegi and Arantza Zulueta.

A number of those detained are Basque nationalist lawyers

Arantza Zulueta is a key figure among the lawyer who work for the nationalist leftwing. Three weeks ago she appeared on behalf of deceased&' || 'nbsp; former ETA prisoner Jon Anza, who died in France, to question the circumstances of his death.

On 2nd March this year, the High Court cleared Enparantza of the charge of inciting terrorism of which he stood accused since his participation in an act of homage to ETA prisoner José María Sagardui back in 2005. During the same trial, the court sentenced ex-Batasuna spokesman Arnaldo Otegi to two years in prison.

Naia Zuriarrain was released from jail on April 5th 2008 and expelled from France on the same day after having served six years for maintaining links with ETA.