What We Know So Far About The Terror Attack In Spain’s Barcelona

At least 13 persons have been killed and 50 injured after a van crashed into a crowd of people in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas district.

The attack began in the evening with a van plowing through crowds on the renowned Las Ramblas avenue, a popular tourist section of Barcelona.

The driver of the van is believed to have escaped and is still on the run, according to police. It is being called the worst attack on Spanish soil since the 2004 Madrid bombings, which killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800.

The deadly assault on Las Ramblas avenue was followed hours later by a second terror attack in Cambrils, 100 kilometers south of Barcelona. Here, the police managed to foil the attack and shot dead five terrorists. However, it is not clear if the driver of the van was among the suspects shot by police in the coastal town.

Amaq, the media wing of the terror outfit, issued a statement that said the attackers are "soldiers of the Islamic State (IS)," although IS has not explicitly claimed responsibility for the attack, CNN has reported. Unlike attacks in other parts of the world where IS sympathisers were involved, the terror group has not posted any photos or additional details about the perpetrators.

According to the Catalan regional government, citizens from 24 countries were among the people killed and injured during the Barcelona van attack.

As per The Gaurdian’s report, regional police has arrested two men – including Driss Oukabir, who was initially suspected of being the driver – but police have now said neither man was behind the wheel. However, they remain in custody. While one of the suspects is from Morocco, the other one is from the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

A massive explosion at a house 120 miles south of Barcelona on Wednesday night is also being linked by police to the terrorist attack a day later. At least one person was killed and six injured when the explosion took place. Catalan police has said that they are "working under the hypothesis that the terrorists taken down in Cambrils were related to the events that took place in Barcelona and Alcanar."

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the attack in Barcelona was a "jihadist attack". Leaders from around the world, including US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have condemned the attack.