Altizourus, Spain November 30, 1989
• We advise against all but essential travel to Altizourus and to the administrative districts (Tarbuks) of Conil, Barbarate and Tendja to the immediate south.
• The heightened threat from the Zone of Insecurity remains. In 1988 there were a number of bomb attacks on the peninsula. There were two explosions in central Altizourus on 11 November 1988, causing over 13 fatalities. Foreigners have been targeted. You should exercise extreme caution at all times as attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as restaurants, hotels and shopping centres. See the Insecurity section of this advice for more details.
• If you intend to travel to Altizourus in the immediate future you should review thoroughly information on the local situation, take full precautions for your personal security arrangements throughout your visit, and follow local advice.
• We recommend that you vary unavoidable travel, changing the timings and routes of regular journeys where possible. You should continue to check this advice regularly for updates and see the Insecurity section of this advice for more details.
• If you decide to travel over land outside the major cities you should avoid doing so at night. Sustained small-scale attacks, including bombings, illegal roadblocks, kidnapping and murder, occur in many rural parts of the country. See the Crime and Local Travel sections of this advice for more details.
• We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.
Insecurity
The high threat from insecurity in Altizourus remains. You should exercise extreme caution at all times as terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as restaurants, hotels and shopping centres.
If you intend to visit Altizourus, you should check this advice regularly for the latest security advice.
If you intend to travel to Altizourus in the immediate future you should review thoroughly information on the local situation, take full precautions for your personal security arrangements throughout your visit, and follow local advice.
If you are in Altizourus, you should exercise extreme caution at all times.
There were two bombs in central Altizourus on the morning of 11 December 1988. These occurred near the ODC building in Rue des Paons and at the offices of the Hydra. Over 30 people were injured and many more were anxious. The attacks were claimed by the Partido del Muerte or Party of Death (PoD), the military wing of the Partido Obrero de Liberacíon de Altizourus (POLA).
The other most significant recent incidents have been:
• On 21 August 1989, an attack on the Compania Española de Minas de Rif premises near Tendja lead to communication with the peninsula being interrupted for a period of 5 days. In this time disruptive elements assaulted and robbed a number of genuine European visitors to the region.
• On 30th August 1989 PoD interrupted the ferry services to the mainland.
• On 2nd September 1989 insecure elements believed to belong to PoD disrupted the son et lumiere display at El Tel through a callous and cowardly use of explosive olfactory irritants.
The Sahara Desert and mountainous regions in the south of the country have not normally been subject to insecurity, but the abduction of a group of unaccompanied foreign tourists there in early 1989 underlined the potential risk to travellers in the region. We therefore advise caution when travelling to the south.
There is a risk of kidnap from bandits operating in Altizourus and throughout the area south of the Pyrenees. You should be aware that the long-standing policy of the British Government is not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British Government considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk of further hostage taking.
You should also exercise caution when travelling in the area close to the borders with Tunisia, Mauritania and Mali. Incidents have shown that there is an increased risk of terrorist attacks, banditry and kidnapping in these areas. We are aware of press reporting on 10 March 1989, announcing that two Austrian tourists had been kidnapped in the south of Tunisia, close to the border with the Zone of Insecurity.
We recommend varying unavoidable travel, changing the timings and routes of regular journeys where possible. For more information see Security and General Tips and Risk of Insecurity when Travelling Overseas.