Terrorist strike kill hundreds in Madrid, Spain
"We will not back down in the face of terrorist killings. The perpetrators will be tried and convicted,"
said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
March 11, 2004 -- Ten powerful explosions rocked three
Madrid train stations today just days before Spain's general elections,
killing at least 186 rush-hour commuters and injuring more than 600 others. Officials blamed Basque separatists for the worst terror attack in Spanish history.
"This is a massacre," government spokesman Eduardo Zaplana said.
The 10 blasts ripped passenger cars nearly in half three days before the country's general elections. ETA terrorists have killed about 900 people in a 35-year campaign to win independence for Spain's Basque region.
Police had warned of violence ahead of Sunday's elections pitting the incumbent Popular Party, which has ruled Spain for eight years, against the opposition Socialists. Their campaigns were marked by disputes over regional independence movements.
A somber Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar called the attacks "mass murder" and vowed to hunt down the attackers.
"Terrorism is not blind. These terrorists wanted to cause as much damage as possible. It is a massacre. They have killed many people simply for being Spanish," said
Aznar.
ETA had been looking for a massacre in Spain, Acebes said, citing recent thwarted attacks. “Unfortunately, today it
achieved its goal."
At least two bombs exploded around 7:30 a.m. local time in a commuter train arriving at Atocha station, a bustling hub for
subway, commuter and long-distance trains.
Blasts rocked two other stops on a
commuter line stations of El Pozo, Santa Eugenia.
Worst hit was a double-decker train at the El Pozo station, where two bombs killed 70 people, fire department inspector Juan
Redondo said.
"It was butchery, we were pulling out bodies that we didn't even know if they were dead or alive,'' said
Redondo.
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