MADRID, May 12, 2008 (AFP) - Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea, better known by his alias Josu Ternera, remains in charge of the armed Basque separatist group ETA despite recent reports that a new leader has emerged, a Spanish newspaper reported Monday.

His son, Egoitz Urrutikoetxea, and two other hardline separatists, Jon Salaberria Sansinea and Ainhoa Ozaeta Mendicutelaz, are in charge of reorganising ETA's banned political wing Batasuna, ABC reported, citing unnamed police experts.

Ternera is thought to have taken part in ETA's assassination in 1973 of Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, who was prime minister under dictator Francisco Franco, in a car bombing in Madrid.

ETA has killed over 800 people in bombings and shootings in its 40-year campaign for an independent Basque homeland.

In September 2007 a left-wing daily newspaper, Publico, reported that Javier Lopez Pena had replaced Ternera as head of ETA and represented the group at meetings with government representatives.

But ABC said Ternera had missed the group's final meeting with government representatives held in April or May 2007 as part of their failed peace talks due to his 'obsession' for security and not because he had been replaced.

ETA announced a 'permanent ceasefire' in March 2006 but called it off in June 2007, saying it was frustrated with a lack of concessions by the government during peace talks.

Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for about 20 attacks which have killed three people while Spanish authorities have adopted a hard line, arresting dozens of suspected members of ETA and Batasuna.

ETA, whose initials stand for Euskadi ta Askatasuna, or Basque Homeland and Freedom in the Basque language, is designated a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union.