King Charles III leads 20th-anniversary commemoration of 7/7 London bombings

LONDON (AP) – King Charles III led commemorations Monday on the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London transit bombings, the deadliest attack on the British capital since World War II.

Fifty-two people died and more than 700 were wounded when four British men inspired by al-Qaida blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus during the morning rush hour on July 7, 2005. They were the first suicide bombings on European soil.

Two weeks later, four other bombers attempted a similar attack, but their devices failed to explode. No one was hurt.

The bombings remain seared into London’s collective memory, and the anniversary will be marked with a ceremony at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park and a service of commemoration at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In a message, the king said his “heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer’s day.”

He said the country could take heart from the bravery of the emergency services and others who responded to the attack, and “the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.”

Charles also hailed the “spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal.”

“As we remember those we lost, let us, therefore, use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us,” he said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said July 7, 2005 was one of Britain’s “darkest days.”

She said that 20 years on, “Islamist extremist terrorism remains the greatest threat” to national security “followed by extreme right-wing terrorism.”

“But we also face hybrid threats to our national security from hostile states, serious organized crime, cyber criminals, those threatening our border security and a troubling rise in violence-fixated individuals radicalized online,” she wrote in the Sunday Mirror newspaper, adding that the government would “relentlessly confront and counter threats to our national security.”