The 1985 El Descanso bombing was a bomb attack against the El Descanso restaurant just outside Madrid, Spain, late on April 12, 1985. The explosion killed 18 Spaniards and injured 82 others, including 11 American servicemen, who were believed to be the target of the attack. American servicemen who worked at nearby Torrejón Air Base frequented the restaurant.
Spanish Interior Minister Jose Barrionuevo blamed the Islamic Jihad Organization, which claimed responsibility for the blast, for the bombing. However, the case was closed in 1987 due to a lack of arrests.
In 2005, Spain requested the alleged Al-Qaeda operative and writer Mustafa Setmariam Nasar's extradition from Pakistan for his role in the bombing.
Famous quotes containing the word bombing:
“My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)