Fourteen bombs have exploded across the French island of Corsica, hitting banks and businesses and private homes.

The attacks, which caused no injures, come a week before Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is due to visit.

Corsica's troubles

Violent unrest is now into its third decade Militants have made bomb attacks in Paris, Marseilles and Nice as well as on the actual island People are rarely hurt in attacks but a top official, Claude Erignac, was assassinated in 1998

Separatist militants on the Mediterranean island have been conducting a low-level campaign of violence for years.

Moves to grant the island limited autonomy were quashed by France's Supreme Court earlier this year but the centre-right government elected this summer has hinted at new concessions.

The bombs which went off late on Thursday and early on Friday targeted banks, private villas, a restaurant, a garage housing unmarked police cars and a company, causing varying degrees of damage, police said.

A fifteenth bomb failed to explode.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A recent bomb attack in Nice, on the French mainland, was claimed by the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC), the main separatist group.

Concessions

"Corsica really didn't need this and it's not worthy of any further comment," Mr Sarkozy said on French radio after the attacks.

The minister announced in September that he was ready to move Corsican prisoners closer to their families - thus meeting a key separatist condition for talks with the central government.

In another move earlier this week, the new government revealed plans to offer France's regions greater powers in areas such as transport and education and suggested Corsica could lead the way.

Mr Sarkozy is due to launch the initiative when he visits on 25 October.