Spain raises terrorism alert for train bomb trial

Madrid, Feb 13: The Spanish government has raised its terrorism alert to medium from low ahead of the trial of 29 people charged with involvement in the Madrid train bombings, which starts on Thursday.

The Interior Ministry said on Tuesday it would reinforce police patrols in crowded areas like shopping malls, stations, and stadiums and give extra protection to key infrastructures like power plants and the drinking water network.

''We have activated the level 2 anti-terrorist alert ... to guarantee the full safety of citizens ahead of the start of the March 11 trial and the third anniversary of the attacks,'' the ministry said in a statement. Spain had been on level 1, described as a low terrorism alert.

Spain has 3 security levels. Since the March 11, 2004 train bombings, it has raised the alert to level 2 at various times, including just after the July 7 attacks in London.

''There is no concrete threat anywhere in the country. This is simply a preventative measure to guarantee normality,'' a spokesman for the ministry said.

In 2004, Islamist militants planted a series of bombs in commuter trains, killing 191 people and injuring about 2,000 -- the biggest al Qaeda-related attack in Europe.

While seven prime suspects committed suicide soon after the attacks, another 29 are due to stand trial from Feb. 15 charged with crimes that run from belonging to a terrorist group to supplying the Islamist cell with explosives.

Reuters