August 17, 2017: In Spain, at least 13 people were killed and 100 injured in a terror attack after a van rammed into a crowd of pedestrians on Barcelona’s Las Ramblas tourist area last evening. The president of Spain’s Catalonia region Carles Puigdemont, confirming it a terror attack, said that police have arrested two people in this connection. Police said, the driver was still on the run. The Police has cordoned off the area around the incident and requested the closure of local metro and train stations.
Meanwhile, ISIS have claimed responsibility for the the attack. According to US monitor SITE Intelligence Group, the extremist group’s propaganda outlet AMAQ claimed that the executors of the attack were soldiers of the Islamic State.
According to reports, the vehicle sped down the centre of the road until it hit a newspaper kiosk and stopped. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as they tried to flee.
The famous Las Ramblas boulevard is one of Barcelona’s busiest streets and usually packed at this time of year with tourists.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that there is no report of any Indian casualty in the terror attack. External Affairs Minister tweeted that she is in constant touch with Indian embassy in Spain. She also asked Indians to contact the Indian Embassy in case of an emergency. Indian Embassy’s emergency contact number is 34-608769335 .
The Barcelona attack drew condemnation from across the globe. Spain’s royal family vowed that their country would not be “terrorized” by extremists.
US President Donald Trump condemned the “terror attack” and said the United States will do whatever is necessary to help”, adding that be tough and strong.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said his thoughts were with the victims of the “tragic attack”.A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the “revolting attack” and British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Twitter that London “stands with Spain against terror”.
Spanish police has said that they suspected a deadly explosion at a house in Alcanar was linked to the Barcelona terror attack. Josep Lluis Trapero of the regional police of Catalonia told reporters that the explosion hit a house in Alcanar some 200 kilometres south of Barcelona late yesterday. The police said, at least one person dead in the explosion. It said the dead was suspected one among those in the house who were preparing an explosive device.
Six civilians and one police officer were hurt when a car drove into people in the Spanish seaside resort of Cambrils early today. The regional government said, this attack came just hours after Barcelona terror attack.
Police shot four of the attackers dead and injured another one, saying they were “working on the hypothesis that the terrorists shot dead in Cambrils could be linked to what happened in Barcelona. (AIR News)
