ation ▁Gr oups ▁claim ing ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁attack ▁included ▁Bas que ▁separ at ist ▁group ▁E TA , ▁the ▁First ▁of ▁October ▁Anti - F asc ist ▁Res istance ▁Gr oups ▁( GR AP O ), ▁Unity ▁of ▁the ▁Ab u ▁Ze in ab ▁Mart y rs , ▁Wa ' d ▁( a ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁P FL P - SC ) ▁and ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad ▁Organ ization . ▁The ▁call ers ▁from ▁E TA ▁claimed ▁the ▁bomb ▁had ▁gone ▁off ▁earlier ▁than ▁planned ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁target ▁American ▁soldiers ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁restaurant ▁later , ▁and ▁apolog ised ▁to ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁bomb ing . ▁ ▁After ▁first ▁bl aming ▁E TA , ▁Spanish ▁Inter ior ▁Minister ▁José ▁Bar r ion ue vo ▁concluded ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad ▁Organ ization ▁and ▁Wa ' d ▁had ▁the ▁most ▁cred ible ▁claim ▁of ▁responsibility ▁following ▁investig ations ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Police . ▁The ▁claim ▁by ▁Wa ' d , ▁distributed ▁by ▁the ▁K uw ait ▁News ▁Agency ▁was ▁noted ▁as ▁it ▁included ▁the ▁an agram ▁of ▁the ▁sugar ▁en velop es ▁from ▁the ▁El ▁Des c ans o ▁restaurant . ▁E TA ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁t ies ▁to ▁extrem ists ▁in ▁Leb anon ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁where ▁they ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁training ▁cam ps , ▁and ▁investig ators ▁sus pected ▁links ▁between ▁Islam ic ▁J ih ad , ▁E TA ▁and ▁GR AP O .