On March 11 , 2004 , Spain suffered Europe 's first jihadist terror attack with a nearly simultaneous , coordinated 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 day of the attacks , then prime minister José María Aznar , from the ruling conservative party called '' El Pais '' editor in chief Jesús Ceberio and gave him assurances that the attacks had been planned and executed by the Basque terrorist group ETA . Despite having no other confirmation , Ceberio ran a front page blaming ETA for the attack , having to correct course the following day . Ceberio , who would continue as editor for three more years , published an editorial piece accusing Aznar of manipulating him
first jihadist terror attack
2004 Madrid train bombings
El País