The first funerals after the Madrid bomb attacks took place today with a service for 40 of the victims in Alcala de Henares, a town east of the Spanish capital. The toll of the attrocity reached 200 this morning.
After millions of Spaniards flooded the streets in condemnation of the train bombings, Spain also turned toward tomorrow's general elections while questions about the terrorist attack remain unanswered.
Basque separatist group ETA is still the prime suspect in the bombing investigation, and there is no new evidence of al Qaeda involvement, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said today. Both possibilities were still being considered however, in the "progressing" inquiries, he added at a news conference.
An estimated 11 million people, more than a quarter of the population, took part in marches last night to condemn the Thursday attacks, when 10 bombs exploded in four packed commuter trains, killing 200 and wounding 1,500.
It was Spain's worst ever terrorist attack and the worst in Europe for 15 years, raising fears that al Qaeda may have struck in the West for the first time since September 11th, 2001.
A group tied to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attacks and ETA has denied it, though neither claim has been confirmed as genuine.
Sources at Basque public television EiTB say they recognised the voice of a caller in the name of ETA last night who said the group "had no responsibility whatsoever" for the attack.
The caller claimed to be one of two ETA members who in a videotaped message last month announced a partial truce limited to the Catalonia region.
Mr Acebes said he did not believe the ETA denial and questioned the credibility of a letter purporting to come from a group aligned to al Qaeda, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, that took responsibility for the bombings.
US President George W. Bush said however he "wouldn't rule anybody out" as the perpetrator and promised American help in hunting down those responsible.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar is one of Mr Bush's closest allies, backing his decision to wage war in Iraq, against fierce opposition among the Spanish population.
The bombings forced the suspension of the election campaign and could influence the result of the poll, analysts say. Mr Aznar is to step down, but his hand-picked successor, former deputy prime minister Mr Mariano Rajoy, is seeking a third straight four-year term for the centre-right Popular Party.
Socialist candidate Mr Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who opposed the war in Iraq but has backed Mr Aznar in the fight against ETA, is seeking to return the Socialists to power for the first time since Mr Aznar unseated Mr Felipe Gonzalez in 1996.