The terrorists had placed 13 bombs in bags on various trains around Madrid. At 07:38, 10 of the remote-controlled bombs are detonated, killing 191 people.
– This is a massacre, said Spanish government spokesman Eduardo Zaplana the same day.
The hunt for the terrorists
The Spanish government at the time believed that the Basque terrorist organization ETA was behind the attack, but it later emerged that Islamist extremists with ties to al-Qaeda were responsible.
Three weeks after the crime, seven suspected perpetrators blew themselves up in their apartment when the police were close to arresting them.
In 2007, a Spanish court sentenced 21 people for participation in the terrorist act.
Remembrance Day
After the terrorist attack in Madrid in 2004, March 11 was designated as a day of remembrance in the EU for the victims of terrorism.
On Monday, several European ministers and commissioners joined survivors and family members of the victims for a memorial service in the Spanish capital.
– Remembering, just like getting justice, is a commitment that European cities make to terror victims, to restore and protect their dignity, said King Felipe VI of Spain.
Hear the testimonies and see the images from the terrorist attack on March 11, 2004 in the video above.