Madrid Train Bombings - 2004 | Today In History | 11 Mar 17

On March 11, 2004, ten bombs exploded in quick succession across the commuter rail network in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida-inspired militants. STORYLINE Powerful explosions rocked three busy Madrid train stations on Thursday just three days before general elections, killing 172 rush-hour commuters and wounding nearly 600 in Spain’s worst terrorist attack ever. The government blamed the armed Basque separatist group ETA, but the leader of Batasuna, an outlawed Basque party linked to the armed separatist group, denied it was behind the blasts and suggested “Arab resistance“ elements were responsible. Bombs exploded around 0730 local time (0630 GMT) in a commuter train arriving at Atocha station, a bustling hub for subway, commuter and long-distance trains in Spain’s capital. Blasts also rocked trains or platforms at two stations on a commuter line leading to Atocha. Officials said there were 13 blasts altogether. Shards of twisted metal were scattered by rails in the Ato