The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Barcelona terror: 13 killed and dozens injured
Two suspects arrested while another was killed in a shoot-out after van ploughed into people in the Catalonian capital
At least 13 people died and more than 100 were injured after a van ploughed into crowds in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas district, an area popular with tourists. Islamic State claimed it was behind the atrocity, which police said was clearly a terrorist attack designed to kill as many people as possible.
Thirteen people died and more than 100 were injured after a van ploughed into crowds in Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas yesterday.
Terror struck at the heart of the capital of Catalonia as the vehicle sped along the pedestrian area, mowing down people and sending others fleeing in terror.
Attackers struck shortly after 5pm local time, tearing through the packed tourist area and leaving the city in chaos.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of widespread panic, with crowds running in waves away from the area.
The city’s populace was urged to stay indoors as police officers descended upon the scene. Public transport was halted and roadblocks were set up.
The driver of the vehicle fled after the attack and gunshots rang out across the city.
As eyewitness accounts of the atrocity flooded-in, the head of the Catalan Region reported that two people had been arrested.
Another suspect died in a shoot-out after driving into a police roadblock in Sant Just Lesvern, on the outskirts of the city.
The driver of the van is believed to be at large, while the attack is also being linked to an explosion in Catalonia on Wednesday in which one person was killed.
Police also released a photo of a Spanish citizen of Moroccan descent named as Driss Oubakir who was alleged to have rented the van.
Local reports later suggested he had been traced and claimed his documents had been stolen.
The Barcelona attack is the first major terror-related killing on Spanish soil since more than 190 people died in the Madrid train bombs in 2004.
Islamic State claimed it was behind the new atrocity, though experts have regularly warned its claims should be treated with caution.
Many people huddled in cafes, bars and restaurants for hours as shots rang out and sirens wailed.
Lawyer and Glasgow University rector Aamer Anwar was among those walking in Las Ramblas when the attack took place.
Describing the scene as “chaos”, he said he heard a crashing noise and screaming from where he had been standing moments earlier.
“I turned around and people were screaming. I could see a woman screaming with her kids. People started running and jumping into shops,” Mr Anwar said.
“I ran for about 50 or 100 metres and stopped to see what was happening.
“The police were very quickly on the scene and got people to move back.
“I could see chaos right at the top area and I spoke to a shopkeeper who had run down and was screaming.
“He was Bengali so I spoke to him in Urdu and he said a van had driven into a crowd and he thought there were five or six people very seriously injured.”
“They seemed to be looking for someone. They were going very carefully, very cautiously, stall to stall.”
As the area around Las Ramblas was locked down for many hours after the attack, heavily armed police patrolled the streets and authorities called for the metro system to be shut.
A number of people are said to have been very seriously injured and authorities have warned the death toll could rise.
Foreign nationals are among those known to have been killed, with a Belgian national among the victims.
In the wake of the atrocity, the Government of Catalonia has declared three days of mourning for the region.
I turned around and people were screaming. I could see a woman screaming with her kids. People started running and jumping into shops. AAMER ANWAR