Small bomb explodes in emblematic Spanish basilica

Madrid, Spain, Oct 3, 2013 / 04:12 pm (CNA).- A small bomb exploded on Oct. 2 in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, Spain. Police said no one was injured in the blast.

According to Europa Press, the basilica was immediately evacuated after the explosion and police set up an exterior perimeter.

The small bomb, consisting of a gas cylinder with gun powder, was placed in the central nave of the basilica.

Left-wing anarchists have been blamed for the attack, according to the Efe news agency.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza is one of the most important Marian shrines in the world. The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar dates back to the Apostle St. James in the year 40 A.D. St. James and his followers built the first adobe chapel in honor of the devotion on the banks of the Ebro River.