Millions of people of Spain held mass silent gatherings on Friday to commemorate the 192 people killed in the bomb attacks in commuter trains in this capital exactly a year ago.

At noon there were gatherings outside government buildings, work places, streets and squares of the different cities of the country, which observed five minutes of silence called by the government and the federation of municipalities.

In the morning of March 11, 2004, Spain was shocked by the worst terrorist attack of its history, when several bombs blasted, leaving a toll of 192 dead and 1,500 wounded.

The authorities attributed the attacks to extremist Islamist groups in reprisal of the support of the Spanish government, then headed by Jose M. Aznar, to the war of Iraq, waged by the United States.

The Spanish Royal Family, authorities and foreign leaders - like King of Morocco Mohamed VI - joined the event at Bosque de los Ausentes, a spot set up inside El Retiro Park of Madrid, in remembrance of the victims.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2005)