The armed Basque separatist group Eta's suspected leader has been arrested in France. This has been informed by the French police. During the dawn raids four suspects were arrested including a man thought to be the current military chief of Eta named Mikel Kabikoitz Karrera Sarobe.

According to sources, three of them were caught in the southern town of Bayonne and the last one was caught at a nearby village. Five Eta leaders have been arrested in France in last two years. This indicates that Eta has spread its influence in France as well.

Sarobe is from Spain and also known as Ata. It has been informed that he has taken over the place of military chief of Eta after the arrest of his predecessor Ibon Gogeascoechea in February. He was arrested from a flat in Bayonne with another man and a woman.

The fourth one was arrested in the coastal town of St Jean de Luz. This group was suspected of the murder of a French policeman Jean-Serge Nerin in March. Nerin was the first policeman to be killed by Eta.