The historic street of La Rambla, a popular spot for locals and tourists, was converted into a scene of terror in Barcelona on Thursday afternoon, when a white Fiat van traveling at high speed crashed into the people enjoying the sights.
It was an attack that claimed the lives of at least 14 and injured hundreds. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack that caused terror in Barcelona.
Terror in Barcelona
People, both locals and tourists were milling around the La Rambla promenade on Thursday. The popular tourist spot is located in Catalonia in Central Barcelona. They had no inkling of what would happen next.
At 4:50 in the afternoon, a white van, cruising at great speed suddenly crashed into the hundreds of people in the promenade.
The action of terror in Barcelona was deliberate according to Mossos d’Esquadra, regional police force of Catalonia. The driver of the van, who fled the scene, has not been found as of this writing. Witnesses said that the driver, who immediately fled after the van stopped, seemed to be unarmed.
The van traveled at great speed for about 500 meters, swerving left and right, trying to hit as many people as possible as it moved through the street. Those who were hit were sent flying.
As there are no bollards on La Rambla, it is possible for a vehicle to easily mount the boulevard’s pedestrian area. The incident of terror in Barcelona according to police is the same as the recent attacks in Stockholm, Nice and Germany.
Earlier Events and Detention
There were earlier events that happened which police now say are linked to the terror in Barcelona at La Rambla. An explosion occurred in a house in Alcanar on Wednesday. According to reports, people inside the house were putting together an explosive device, which detonated, destroying the entire house.
The police have detained two suspects. One is Driss Oubakir, who came from Morocco and arrived in Barcelona on August 13. He was arrested in Ripoll, located in Girona. He is believed to be the person who rented the van.
The authorities did not reveal the name of the second man arrested in Alcanar. He was from Melilla, a North African exclave of Spain. This man was linked to the earlier explosion that destroyed a building, injured seven people and killed one.
Casualties
The Catalonian regional government (Generalitat) said that 14 people have died and more than 100 were injured in the latest casualty tally. There is a possibility that the number will increase as the terror in Barcelona victim lists lengthens.
It is claimed so far that citizens from 24 countries were among the casualties from the terror attack. Casualties are from Germany, Belgium, Australia, France, Greece, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Pakistan.
A suspect vehicle, thought to be the get-away car used by the driver of the van in the Barcelona attack was found in Vic, a town that is 60 km north of Barcelona.
Second Attack
Hours after the attack in Barcelona, police announced that they had killed five terror suspects. The incident happened in Cambrils, a seaside resort town in Catalan.
Seven people, one of them a police officer, were injured. A car, with men inside, was driven into them. When the vehicle overturned, the people inside the car, believed to be wearing explosive belts, got out. One of them was brandishing a knife, according to a report. The police open fired at them, killing all five men. It was later known that the explosive belts were fake.
However, authorities now believe that there is a 12-man terror cell that was behind the two attacks. Police also believe that they are planning to create even more terror in Barcelona using gas canisters.
Meanwhile, the manhunt for the van driver that terrorized people in La Rambla continues. Police released the name of the suspected driver – Moussa Oukabir. He is the 18-year old brother of the Driss Oukabir, who rented the van.
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