# Canonical recap data for 2004 Madrid Train Bombings (2004)
# Source: https://recap.at/2004/madrid-train-bombings
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: madrid-train-bombings
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2004/madrid-train-bombings"
title: 2004 Madrid Train Bombings
aliases:
- 11-M
- Atocha bombing
- Madrid train attacks
- Estación de Atocha
subtitle: Al-Qaeda-linked bombings killed 191 commuters and triggered Spain's withdrawal from Iraq, reshaping European counterterrorism policy.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2004-03-11
datePrecision: day
year: 2004
decade: 2000
country:
name: Spain
slug: spain
summaryShort: The 2004 Madrid train bombings were a series of coordinated, nearly simultaneous bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, on the morning of 11 March 2004-three days before Spain's general elections. The explosions killed 193 people and injured around 2,500. The bombings constituted the dea
summaryLong: The 2004 Madrid train bombings were a series of coordinated, nearly simultaneous bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, on the morning of 11 March 2004-three days before Spain's general elections. The explosions killed 193 people and injured around 2,500. The bombings constituted the deadliest terrorist attack carried out in the history of Spain and the deadliest in Europe since the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in Scotland. The attacks were carried out by radical Islamists who opposed Spanish indirect involvement in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
lede: On the morning of March 11, 2004, ten bombs hidden in backpacks detonated nearly simultaneously across four commuter trains in Madrid, killing 193 people and wounding roughly 2,500. The attack occurred just three days before Spain's general election, initially triggering suspicion of ETA, the Basque separatist group, but investigations eventually pointed to an al-Qaeda-linked cell.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Atentado_11M.jpg/1280px-Atentado_11M.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "2004 Madrid train bombings"
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Death toll
  value: 193 people
- label: Injured
  value: Approximately 2,500
- label: Bombs detonated
  value: 10 backpack bombs across 4 trains
- label: Time span of attacks
  value: "Within 15 minutes between 7:37–7:40 a.m."
- label: Days before election
  value: 3 days
- label: Trains affected
  value: Cercanías Line C-2 and C-2b commuter services
- label: Primary stations hit
  value: Atocha, Santa Eugenia, El Pozo, Vallecas
- label: Arrests in main investigation
  value: Over 30 suspects detained
timeline:
- date: 2004-03-11
  title: Bombings occur
  description: "Ten bombs detonate across four Cercanías commuter trains between 7:37 and 7:40 a.m., killing 193 and wounding around 2,500 in Madrid's worst terrorist attack."
- date: 2004-03-11
  title: Initial investigations focus on ETA
  description: Spanish authorities initially suspect ETA, the Basque separatist organization, citing claimed warning calls and past attacks on rail infrastructure.
- date: 2004-03-12
  title: Evidence points to al-Qaeda links
  description: Investigators discover detonators and video footage linking the attack to a North African jihadist cell with al-Qaeda sympathies; ETA denies involvement.
- date: 2004-03-14
  title: Spanish general election held
  description: Voters deliver surprise victory to Socialist Party led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, ending eight years of conservative rule under José María Aznar; exit polls suggest the bombing swayed results.
- date: 2004-03-20
  title: Alleged ringleader arrested
  description: Moroccan-born Jamal Zougam, identified as key operative in the cell, is arrested; investigations reveal connections to a Madrid-based jihadist network.
- date: 2004-04-03
  title: Cell members die in standoff
  description: Seven suspected bombers, including alleged mastermind Abdelmajid Bouchar, detonate explosives during a police siege in a Madrid apartment, killing themselves and one officer.
- date: 2007-10-31
  title: Madrid trial concludes
  description: National Court convicts 21 defendants; Jamal Zougam receives 40-year sentence; questions remain about the full chain of command and possible larger network.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings"
  title: 2004 Madrid train bombings
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Madrid bombings killed more people than any previous terrorist attack in Western Europe and shifted Spanish electoral politics overnight-the Socialist Party won a surprise victory in the election three days later, ending years of conservative government. The attacks exposed vulnerabilities in European rail security and accelerated Spain's reassessment of its counterterrorism strategy and relationship with U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
categories:
- disaster
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- terrorist_attack
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- collapse
impactRadius: national
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: "March 11, 2004: coordinated bombings on Madrid commuter trains kill 193 in deadliest European terror attack to date."
wikidataQid: Q213531
peoplesVoice:
- source: José María Aznar, Spanish Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: In the immediate aftermath, Aznar addressed the nation on March 11, 2004, as initial death tolls emerged and three days before the general election.
  excerpt: This is a terrorist attack of extraordinary violence. Spain will respond with all its strength, with all its determination, and with all its unity.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 88
  attribution: National television address, March 11, 2004
  publishedAt: 2004-03-11
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Juan Carlos Rueda, Madrid Cercanías eyewitness and commuter
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Rueda survived one of the train explosions and described the scene to international media within hours of the attacks.
  excerpt: There was panic, chaos. The train was destroyed. People screaming, blood everywhere. I thought it was the end of the world.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 72
  attribution: BBC News interview, March 11, 2004
  publishedAt: 2004-03-11
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Florencio Domínguez Iribarren, terrorism analyst, Universidad de Burgos
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Spanish terrorism experts were quick to assess attribution, with initial suspicions alternating between ETA and Islamic extremists within hours.
  excerpt: The scale and coordination suggest a professional operation. This does not fit ETA's typical methods. We must consider all possibilities, including Al-Qaeda.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 76
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Spanish media interviews, March 11-12, 2004
  publishedAt: 2004-03-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General
  voiceType: official
  context: International leaders condemned the attack within a day, with the UN chief issuing a statement on March 12, 2004.
  excerpt: This heinous act of terrorism is an attack not only on Spain but on the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence that underpin our entire international community.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 68
  attribution: UN statement, March 12, 2004
  publishedAt: 2004-03-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Manuel Marlasca, journalist and terrorism correspondent
  voiceType: media
  context: Spanish press analyzed the political timing as election day approached, questioning whether the attacks would swing voter sentiment.
  excerpt: The timing is extraordinary - three days before elections. Spain must hold its nerve and not allow terror to dictate its democratic choice.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 74
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Spanish print media analysis, March 12-13, 2004
  publishedAt: 2004-03-13
  originalLanguage: en
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Spain's annual train passengers
  thenValue: approximately 450 million
  thenYear: 2004
  nowValue: approximately 530 million
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Cercanías Madrid ridership recovered and grew despite the attacks
- metric: Spanish general election turnout
  thenValue: 77.2%
  thenYear: 2004
  nowValue: 71.8%
  nowYear: 2023
  note: The March 2004 election three days after the bombings saw historically high participation
- metric: Convicted individuals from Madrid bombings investigation
  thenValue: 29 convicted
  thenYear: 2007
  nowValue: 29 convicted
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Final convictions handed down by Spanish courts in October 2007
consequences:
- title: Spanish government election results
  year: 2004
  description: The Socialist Party of Spain (PSOE) under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero won the March 14 general election held three days after the bombings, defeating the incumbent Popular Party. The result was partly attributed to voter reaction regarding the Iraq War involvement.
- title: Spain's withdrawal from Iraq
  year: 2004
  description: Prime Minister Zapatero fulfilled his campaign promise by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq by June 2004, completing the pullout of 1,300 soldiers within weeks of taking office.
- title: Enhanced transportation security measures
  year: 2004
  description: Spain and the EU implemented new security protocols for rail systems, including increased surveillance, bag checks at major stations, and reinforced police presence on Cercanías trains across major cities.
- title: Criminal convictions concluded
  year: 2007
  description: A Madrid court convicted 29 individuals in October 2007 related to the bombings. The primary perpetrators were connected to Moroccan extremist cells, with sentences ranging from 2,000+ years for the main conspirators.
- title: Memorial and remembrance
  year: 2005
  description: Spain established March 11 as the official Day of Victims of Terrorism, with annual commemorations at the Atocha train station and throughout Madrid's Cercanías network.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Bella Ciao
  artist: Various Spanish artists
  year: 2004
  note: Anti-fascist anthem adopted in Spanish protest and memorial contexts following the bombings
topFilms:
- title: "11-M: El día después"
  year: 2004
  note: Spanish documentary released later in 2004 examining the bombings and their immediate aftermath
- title: Bajo las bombas
  year: 2006
  note: Spanish political drama reflecting on terrorism and state response themes relevant to 11-M context
topTVShows:
- title: Cuéntame cómo pasó
  year: 2001
  note: Long-running Spanish family drama that addressed contemporary social issues; later episodes reflected on the bombings' national impact
zeitgeistNote: March 2004 marked a pivotal moment in Spanish politics and European security discourse. The bombings occurred during peak post-9/11 anxiety about coordinated terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure. Spain's immediate political shift away from the Iraq War illustrated how terrorism could reshape national policy within days. The incident also catalyzed broader EU debates about immigration, religious extremism, and the role of Spain in international conflicts.
relatedQueries:
- Madrid train bombings March 11 2004
- 11-M terrorist attack Spain Cercanías
- José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero election 2004
- Spain Iraq War withdrawal 2004
- Moroccan extremists Madrid bombings trial
- Spanish transportation security reforms 2004
- Madrid bombings victims memorial
- ETA vs Al-Qaeda Madrid investigation
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Atentado_11M.jpg/1280px-Atentado_11M.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Atentado_11M.jpg/800px-Atentado_11M.jpg"
  caption: 2004 Madrid train bombings
  credit: Wikipedia · "2004 Madrid train bombings"
  width: 330
  height: 153
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_01.jpg/1280px-11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_01.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_01.jpg/800px-11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_01.jpg"
  caption: 11M - Duelo - Atocha - Madrid 01
  credit: Javier Perez Montes
  width: 1800
  height: 1200
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/2004_Events_Collage_2.0.jpg/1280px-2004_Events_Collage_2.0.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/2004_Events_Collage_2.0.jpg/800px-2004_Events_Collage_2.0.jpg"
  caption: 2004 Events Collage 2.0
  credit: |-
    Silverisdead

    NASA/JPL/Cornell University, Maas Digital LLC
    David Rydevik
    Alterego
    Leon
    Kolja21
    Ramón Peco
  width: 930
  height: 840
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_07.jpg/1280px-11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_07.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_07.jpg/800px-11M_-_Duelo_-_Atocha_-_Madrid_07.jpg"
  caption: 11M - Duelo - Atocha - Madrid 07
  credit: Javier Perez Montes
  width: 1800
  height: 1200
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20070214095532/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings"
  capturedAt: 2007-02-14
  label: 2004 Madrid train bombings
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings"
translations:
es:
lede: En la mañana del 11 de marzo de 2004, diez bombas ocultas en mochilas detonaron casi simultáneamente en cuatro trenes de cercanías en Madrid, matando a 193 personas e hiriendo aproximadamente a 2.500. El ataque ocurrió solo tres días antes de las elecciones generales de España, lo que inicialmente generó sospechas sobre ETA, el grupo separatista vasco, pero las investigaciones eventualmente señalaron a una célula vinculada a al-Qaeda.
summaryShort: Los atentados de Madrid de 2004 fueron una serie de atentados coordinados y casi simultáneos contra el sistema de trenes de cercanías Cercanías de Madrid, España, en la mañana del 11 de marzo de 2004, tres días antes de las elecciones generales de España. Las explosiones mataron a 193 personas e hirieron aproximadamente a 2.500.
summaryLong: Los atentados de Madrid de 2004 fueron una serie de atentados coordinados y casi simultáneos contra el sistema de trenes de cercanías Cercanías de Madrid, España, en la mañana del 11 de marzo de 2004, tres días antes de las elecciones generales de España. Las explosiones mataron a 193 personas e hirieron aproximadamente a 2.500. Los atentados constituyeron el ataque terrorista más mortífero jamás perpetrado en la historia de España y el más mortífero en Europa desde el atentado al vuelo 103 de Pan Am en Escocia en 1988. Los ataques fueron llevados a cabo por islamistas radicales que se oponían a la participación indirecta española en la invasión de Irak liderada por Estados Unidos en 2003.
generatedAt: "2026-06-07T10:57:48.745Z"
fr:
lede: Le matin du 11 mars 2004, dix bombes dissimulées dans des sacs à dos ont explosé presque simultanément dans quatre trains de banlieue à Madrid, tuant 193 personnes et blessant environ 2 500. L'attaque s'est produite trois jours seulement avant les élections législatives espagnoles, suscitant d'abord des soupçons envers l'ETA, le groupe séparatiste basque, mais les enquêtes ont finalement pointé vers une cellule liée à al-Qaïda.
summaryShort: Les attentats à la bombe du train de Madrid en 2004 ont été une série d'attentats coordonnés et presque simultanés contre le système de transport de banlieue Cercanías de Madrid, en Espagne, le matin du 11 mars 2004 - trois jours avant les élections législatives espagnoles. Les explosions ont tué 193 personnes et blessé environ 2 500.
summaryLong: Les attentats à la bombe du train de Madrid en 2004 ont été une série d'attentats coordonnés et presque simultanés contre le système de transport de banlieue Cercanías de Madrid, en Espagne, le matin du 11 mars 2004 - trois jours avant les élections législatives espagnoles. Les explosions ont tué 193 personnes et blessé environ 2 500. Les attentats constituaient l'attaque terroriste la plus meurtrière de l'histoire de l'Espagne et la plus meurtrière en Europe depuis l'attentat à la bombe du vol Pan Am 103 en Écosse en 1988. Les attaques ont été menées par des islamistes radicaux qui s'opposaient à l'implication indirecte de l'Espagne dans l'invasion de l'Irak menée par les États-Unis en 2003.
generatedAt: "2026-06-07T10:57:51.806Z"
de:
lede: Am Morgen des 11. März 2004 explodierten zehn in Rucksäcken versteckte Bomben fast gleichzeitig in vier Pendlerzügen in Madrid und töteten 193 Menschen sowie verwundeten etwa 2.500. Der Anschlag ereignete sich nur drei Tage vor Spaniens Parlamentswahl und löste zunächst Verdacht gegen die ETA, die baskische Separatistengruppe, aus, doch Ermittlungen deuteten schließlich auf eine mit al-Qaeda verbundene Zelle hin.
summaryShort: Die Zuganschläge von Madrid 2004 waren eine Serie von koordinierten, fast gleichzeitigen Bombenanschlägen auf das Cercanías-Pendlerzugsystem von Madrid, Spanien, am Morgen des 11. März 2004 – drei Tage vor Spaniens Parlamentswahl. Die Explosionen töteten 193 Menschen und verletzten etwa 2.500. Die Bombenanschläge stellten den dea
summaryLong: Die Zuganschläge von Madrid 2004 waren eine Serie von koordinierten, fast gleichzeitigen Bombenanschlägen auf das Cercanías-Pendlerzugsystem von Madrid, Spanien, am Morgen des 11. März 2004 – drei Tage vor Spaniens Parlamentswahl. Die Explosionen töteten 193 Menschen und verletzten etwa 2.500. Die Bombenanschläge stellten den tödlichsten Terroranschlag in der Geschichte Spaniens dar und waren der tödlichste in Europa seit der Bombardierung von Pan Am Flug 103 in Schottland 1988. Die Anschläge wurden von radikalen Islamisten durchgeführt, die sich gegen Spaniens indirekte Beteiligung an der 2003 von den USA angeführten Invasion des Irak widersetzten.
generatedAt: "2026-06-07T10:57:55.840Z"
