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What happened during the 1995 Tokyo subway nerve-gas attack by AUM Shinrikyo?

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Madrid train bombings of 2004 — terrorism Rescue workers evacuating the bodies of victims of a terrorist train bombing near Atocha Station, Madrid, March 11, 2004.

On March 20, 1995, the new religious movement AUM Shinrikyo carried out a coordinated terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway system using the highly toxic nerve gas sarin.1

Five members boarded separate subway lines, each carrying bags of liquid sarin. They punctured the bags on the train floors before exiting at different stations, allowing the agent to vaporize and spread through the cars and stations. The attack killed 13 people and injured approximately 5,500 others, including many who were exposed while attempting to assist victims.12

The attack was masterminded by the cult’s leader, Asahara Shoko, who had previously directed other violent acts, including a 1994 sarin attack in Matsumoto. Following the incident, Japanese authorities conducted massive raids, leading to the arrest and conviction of hundreds of AUM members. Asahara and several senior members were sentenced to death and executed in 2018. The group, which later renamed itself Aleph, faced significant legal and social consequences for these atrocities.132