Malaga/Madrid - Two loud explosion-like sounds scared residents and holidaymakers of Spain's southern coast around Malaga on Friday, the Defence Ministry said.

The ministry attributed the sounds to an air force plane breaking the sound barrier. The fighter was participating in a military exercise. An attack was excluded.

The plane was not flying beneath the legal altitude limit, the ministry said, attributing the sounds to climate conditions.

Large numbers of frightened citizens called police and the emergency services, blocking telephone lines.

The militant Basque separatist group ETA frequently targets tourist areas in the summer. In late July, a bomb exploded in Torremolinos, causing light property damage. (dpa)