2005 Bomb attacks on London

A series of bomb attacks on London’s transport network has killed more than 30 people and injured about 700 others. 

Three explosions on the Underground left 35 dead and two died in a blast on a double decker bus. 

The first three bombs went off at 0850 on underground trains just outside Liverpool Street and Edgware Road stations, and on another travelling between King’s Cross and Russell Square. 

The final explosion was around an hour later on a number 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, not far from King’s Cross 

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the bombings had “the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda-related attack”. 

Prime Minister Tony Blair promised the “most intense police and security service action to make sure we bring those responsible to justice”. 

Mr Blair, who flew back to London from the G8 summit in Gleneagles, condemned the terrorists and paid tribute to the stoicism and resilience of the people of London. 

“They are trying to use the slaughter of innocent people to cow us, to frighten us out of doing the things that we want to do,” he said in a televised statement from Downing Street. 

Courtesy BBC News

In context

In total 52 people lost their lives in the London bombings, 700 people were injured. 

The attacks were carried out by four suicide bombers. 

The presumed ringleader, Mohammed Siddique Khan, had recently visited Pakistan and was later found to have made a video message in which he claimed British foreign policy was oppressing Muslims. 

Al-Qaeda issued a videotaped statement in September claiming it was behind the London bombings. 

On July 21 there were four more attempted bombings in London. None of the devices exploded. 

On 22 July 2005, police shot dead a man, Jean Charles de Menezes, they mistook for one of the bombers. 

Five men were later arrested and are due to face trial in September 2006. 

A decision is still awaited on whether any charges will be brought over the de Menezes shooting.