Thursday saw a brutal terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain, as a van sped down the popular tourist street of La Rambla, killing 13 people and injuring over 100 more. Islamic State (ISIS) have since claimed responsibility for the attack, while Spanish police thwarted a further attack by killing five suspected terrorists in the resort town of Cambrils.
Barcelona terror attack
In the worst incident of its kind in Spain since the Madrid train bombings of 2004, that saw 193 dead and 1,700 injured, Thursday’s attack in Barcelona has left 13 people dead and more than 100 victims injured.
It is also the first jihadist attack in Spain since 2004.
According to Joaquim Forn, the Catalan Interior Minister, the number of injured could increase as investigations continue. As reported by The Local, people from 24 countries were killed or injured in the attack, including several European countries, China and Australia. According to the U.S. State Department, at least one American citizen received minor injuries.
Warning: video contains graphic images
The Barcelona attack happened at 4:50 p.m. Thursday when a white van sped down 500 m (1640 ft) of the popular and crowded tourist area of La Rambla, zigzagging through pedestrians.
What made things worse was the fact there are no protective bollards on La Rambla, which allowed the vehicle to easily mount the central area between the two driving lanes, where tourists gather and stroll.
The terror attack led to panic throughout the center of Barcelona, where police evacuated the surrounding streets during their hunt for the suspects. While residents were warned to stay in their homes, El Pais reports that many ignored the request as they headed out to help the victims and to give blood.
While police have identified the person who rented the van as Driss Oukabir, the Mossos d’Esquadra regional police confirm the driver of that van is yet to be found as he fled the vehicle after the attack.
As reported by The Local, the driver is believed to be 18-year-old Moussa Oukabir Soprano, Oukabir’s younger brother. Driss Oukabar was taken into custody by police, along with a second, unidentified man, in the town of Alcanar. Police believe the suspect and other persons were preparing an explosive device, planning on further terror attacks.
According to the head of the Mossos d’Esquadra, Josep Lluís Trapero, witnesses at the scene said there was no evidence to say the van driver was armed. Police further confirmed that the act was deliberate and that the incident is considered a terrorist attack and was carried out in a similar manner to other recent attacks in Nice, Germany and Stockholm.
Police kill five terror suspects in Cambrils
Some hours after the Barcelona terror attack, five terror suspects were shot and killed in Cambrils, a resort town 73 miles from the city. According to Spanish news reports, the Mossos d’Esquadra initially shot four suspected terrorists, believed to be wearing explosive belts, in a vehicle in Cambrils. Reuters have confirmed via Twitter that the suicide belts were found to be fake.
A fifth terror suspect was tracked down by helicopter and was shot by police. During the incident, six people were injured, including three police officers.The fifth terror suspect reportedly stabbed a woman as he fled from the scene.
Police believe the terror suspects in question were planning a further attack.
Police made a statement on Twitter to say events in Cambrils were related to a terror attack and that they have killed those responsible.
This latest incident occurred at 1:15 a.m. after a car was stopped by a police patrol close to the town’s marina. According to witnesses at the scene, the vehicle ran into three pedestrians, while the driver ignored officers who attempted to stop them. Following this, four terror suspects exited the vehicle, leading to police opening fire and killing the suspects. Early Friday morning saw forensic teams at the scene, collecting evidence and fingerprints as their investigations continue.