French police arrest ETA's number 3 says Spain

MADRID, July 26 (Reuters) French police have arrested ETA's head of logistics, who is third in command of the Basque separatist rebel group, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said today.

Juan Cruz Maiza Artola, 56, and two other suspected ETA members, described by Rubalcaba as ''foot soldiers'', were arrested in the southern town of Rodez.

Rubalcaba said the capture of Maiza was ''very important''.

''Everyone can understand that an organisation which loses its logistics chief suffers an important loss,'' Rubalcaba told journalists.

Spain's police and intelligence services have stepped up their efforts against ETA since the group ended a ceasefire last month. More than a dozen ETA suspects have been detained in Spain and as far away as Mexico and Canada since the ceasefire broke on June 5.

Police caught another ''most wanted'' ETA suspect, Pablo Aperribay, in southern France yesterday.

ETA has killed more than 800 people during four decades in its campaign for an independent Basque state.

REUTERS PD HT1939