London – King Carlos III directed the commemorations on Monday on the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Transit Bombings, the most fatal attack against the British capital since World War II.
Fifty-two people died and more than 700 were injured when four British men inspired by Al-Qaida flew into three subway trains and a bus during the morning peak time of July 7, 2005. They were the first suicidal bombings on European soil.
Two weeks later, four other bombers tried a similar attack, but their devices could not explode. No one was injured.
The bombings remain chamuscados in the collective memory of London, and the anniversary will be marked with a ceremony in the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park and a commemoration service in the cathedral of St. Paul.
In a message, the king said that his “sincere thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were changed forever on that terrible summer day.”
He said that the country could take the heart of the courage of emergency services and others that responded to the attack, and “the innumerable stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.”
Charles also praised the “spirit of unity that has helped London and our nation to heal.”
“As we remember those we lost, we use, therefore, this twentieth anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to build a society where people of all religions and background can live along with mutual respect and understanding, always firm against those who seek to divide us,” he said.
The Secretary of the Interior, Yvette Cooper, said that on July 7, 2005 it was one of the “darkest days” of Great Britain.
She said that 20 years later, “Islamist extremist terrorism remains the greatest threat” for national security “, followed by extreme right terrorism.”
“But we also face hybrid threats for our national security of hostile states, organized serious crimes, cybercriminals, those who threaten our border security and a worrying increase in people set by radicalized violence online,” he wrote in the Sunday newspaper Mirror, and added that the Government would “face and counteract the threats with our national security.”
