Terror in Spain as five jihadists wearing suicide belts launch SECOND terror attack hours after van rampage in Barcelona killed 13
Five terrorists wearing explosive suicide vests have been shot dead by police south of Barcelona as they attempted a second attack just hours after 13 people were murdered when a van ploughed into them on the city's famous Las Ramblas.
Seven people were injured, two seriously, including a policeman when the group rammed bystanders with a car as they tried to mount a pedestrian area in Cambrils, a coastal town around 70 miles from the Spanish city.
Police said four suspects were shot dead when the van overturned while a fifth, who was injured, died later as gunfire broke out on the seafront.
Police added the suspects wore suicide belts as they carried out a series of controlled explosions today to determine whether the vests were viable.
Meanwhile Spanish authorities announced that they had arrested a third suspect in the Barcelona attack.
Locals were urged to take cover as authorities swooped on an area close to Cambrils' beach-front promenade at around 1.30am on Friday.
The attack took place nine hours after 13 people were killed when a van ploughed into tourists on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas.
Police say they believe an explosion in Alcanar on Wednesday night, the van attack on Las Ramblas yesterday and a attempted car attack in Cambrils on Friday morning are linked
Fitzroy Davies, from Wolverhampton, described how police shot dead one of the attackers as he met with judo coaches in Cambrils ahead of a training camp.
He told the BBC: "These girls ran into the bar off the street and then people were running up the road.
"One of our guys stood up, looked and just said 'run', so we all ran.
"This guy came running up the road and was shouting something.
"I didn't know what it was, so we said call the police.
"Within 30 seconds the police was already there, jumped out of the car, started shouting at the guy, the guy was then saying something else again.
"And then they 'pop, pop', did a couple of shots and he fell down.
"He stood back up and then he stepped over the fence and he started, he was taunting, smiling and he carried on walking to the police, and then they gave it to him again, a couple more shots and then he fell to the ground."
ISIS have claimed responsibility for the terror attacks which police say are linked.
Bystanders could be seen running for cover in the Cambrils attack and several gunshots were heard in footage posted on social media, with a later clip showing several dead bodies lying on the floor.
In one shocking video posted online, gunfire can be heard ringing out as police and ambulances swarm on the scene.
Those nearby ducked behind a concrete wall for cover.
One eyewitness said he saw three suspects dead at a bus stop and that a number of people were hiding in a nearby McDonald's after hearing bullets.
Mayor of Cambrils Camino Mendoza speaks during a press conference after at the five terror suspects were shot dead (Image: Rex Features)
In another video, which showed four bodies strewn across a promenade by the sea, a voice could be heard saying "Look, look, they had explosives!"
While in another clip, revellers in a nearby bar are seen fleeing after hearing gunhots ring out.
The Mossos, the local Catalan police force, tweeted: "Police operation in Cambrils for possible terrorist attack.
"If you are now in Cambrils avoid going out. Stay home, stay safe".
The fresh terror unfolded at around 1.30am on Friday, barely nine hours after van rampage left 13 dead and more than 100 injured in the centre of Barcelona.
Investigators said they are working on the theory that the attacks in Cambrils and Barcelona, as well as an explosion in the town of Alancar on Wednesday, are linked.
Police said they have made two arrests over the attack on Las Ramblas, but neither are believed to be the driver who fled the scene.
Josep Lluis Trapero, the head of the regional police force the Mossos d’Esquadra, said the rampage was designed “to kill as many people as possible”.
He said police were connecting it to an explosion at a house in Alcanar, 125 miles south of Barcelona, on Wednesday night.
One person died and six were injured in the explosion, reportedly caused by a build-up of gas, which caused the house to collapse.
Mr Trapero told a news conference: "At 16.50 a van entered the pedestrian area of the Rambla, and drove for many meters, running over hundreds of people.
"Many of them were injured and it caused the death of 13 people.
"The driver got out of the van and ran away. There was no shouting, no phrases which sometimes accompany such attacks.
"Witnesses called the emergency services and gave a description."
"The Mossos began Operation Cage, an anti-terrorist operation throughout Catalonia.
"There is no evidence that the person who left the van was armed.
"We do not believe he was armed, at least visibly.
The blast was reportedly caused by a build-up of gas, which caused the house to collapse.
(Image: rtve.es)
"We entered all of the bars and establishments of the area to check nobody was hiding.
"This was clearly a terrorist attack with the intention of killing as many people as possible.
"It is believed to be connected with a second incident - the explosion of a house in Alcanar."
"A part of the building collapsed. We are linking these two incidents.
"I cannot give further details as we are still working on the investigation.
"This led to the arrest of two people directly implicated in this attack.
"This does not mean that the two people under arrest are those who carried out the attack in Barcelona - but they are connected to the attack."
A van was used to plough into pedesrians echoing previous terror attacks in London, Berlin, Nice and Stockholm
Oukabir is believed to have been born in Morocco (Image: Facebook)
"Neither of them was the person driving the van.
"Neither of them has any convictions for terrorism.
"One is from Melilla (a Spanish enclave in north Africa) and the other is Moroccan.
"One person was arrested in Alcanar and the other, a Moroccan, in Ripoll."
Mr Trapero confirmed one person was shot dead as a car attempted to break through a police cordon, leaving an officer with a broken leg.
But he said: "He is a Spanish national and at the moment we have no indication he is linked to these other people."
Citizens of 24 countries were among those killed and injured in Barcelona. Spanish media reported three Germans were among the dead as well as Greek and Belgian nationals.
Seven people were injured, two seriously, including a policeman when the group rammed bystanders with a car as they tried to mount a pedestrian area in Cambrils, a coastal town around 70 miles from the Spanish city.
Police said four suspects were shot dead when the van overturned while a fifth, who was injured, died later as gunfire broke out on the seafront.
Police added the suspects wore suicide belts as they carried out a series of controlled explosions today to determine whether the vests were viable.
Meanwhile Spanish authorities announced that they had arrested a third suspect in the Barcelona attack.
Locals were urged to take cover as authorities swooped on an area close to Cambrils' beach-front promenade at around 1.30am on Friday.
The attack took place nine hours after 13 people were killed when a van ploughed into tourists on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas.
Police say they believe an explosion in Alcanar on Wednesday night, the van attack on Las Ramblas yesterday and a attempted car attack in Cambrils on Friday morning are linked
Fitzroy Davies, from Wolverhampton, described how police shot dead one of the attackers as he met with judo coaches in Cambrils ahead of a training camp.
He told the BBC: "These girls ran into the bar off the street and then people were running up the road.
"One of our guys stood up, looked and just said 'run', so we all ran.
"This guy came running up the road and was shouting something.
"I didn't know what it was, so we said call the police.
"Within 30 seconds the police was already there, jumped out of the car, started shouting at the guy, the guy was then saying something else again.
"And then they 'pop, pop', did a couple of shots and he fell down.
"He stood back up and then he stepped over the fence and he started, he was taunting, smiling and he carried on walking to the police, and then they gave it to him again, a couple more shots and then he fell to the ground."
ISIS have claimed responsibility for the terror attacks which police say are linked.
Bystanders could be seen running for cover in the Cambrils attack and several gunshots were heard in footage posted on social media, with a later clip showing several dead bodies lying on the floor.
In one shocking video posted online, gunfire can be heard ringing out as police and ambulances swarm on the scene.
Those nearby ducked behind a concrete wall for cover.
One eyewitness said he saw three suspects dead at a bus stop and that a number of people were hiding in a nearby McDonald's after hearing bullets.
Mayor of Cambrils Camino Mendoza speaks during a press conference after at the five terror suspects were shot dead (Image: Rex Features)
In another video, which showed four bodies strewn across a promenade by the sea, a voice could be heard saying "Look, look, they had explosives!"
While in another clip, revellers in a nearby bar are seen fleeing after hearing gunhots ring out.
The Mossos, the local Catalan police force, tweeted: "Police operation in Cambrils for possible terrorist attack.
"If you are now in Cambrils avoid going out. Stay home, stay safe".
The fresh terror unfolded at around 1.30am on Friday, barely nine hours after van rampage left 13 dead and more than 100 injured in the centre of Barcelona.
Investigators said they are working on the theory that the attacks in Cambrils and Barcelona, as well as an explosion in the town of Alancar on Wednesday, are linked.
Police said they have made two arrests over the attack on Las Ramblas, but neither are believed to be the driver who fled the scene.
Josep Lluis Trapero, the head of the regional police force the Mossos d’Esquadra, said the rampage was designed “to kill as many people as possible”.
He said police were connecting it to an explosion at a house in Alcanar, 125 miles south of Barcelona, on Wednesday night.
One person died and six were injured in the explosion, reportedly caused by a build-up of gas, which caused the house to collapse.
Mr Trapero told a news conference: "At 16.50 a van entered the pedestrian area of the Rambla, and drove for many meters, running over hundreds of people.
"Many of them were injured and it caused the death of 13 people.
"The driver got out of the van and ran away. There was no shouting, no phrases which sometimes accompany such attacks.
"Witnesses called the emergency services and gave a description."
"The Mossos began Operation Cage, an anti-terrorist operation throughout Catalonia.
"There is no evidence that the person who left the van was armed.
"We do not believe he was armed, at least visibly.
The blast was reportedly caused by a build-up of gas, which caused the house to collapse.
(Image: rtve.es)
"We entered all of the bars and establishments of the area to check nobody was hiding.
"This was clearly a terrorist attack with the intention of killing as many people as possible.
"It is believed to be connected with a second incident - the explosion of a house in Alcanar."
"A part of the building collapsed. We are linking these two incidents.
"I cannot give further details as we are still working on the investigation.
"This led to the arrest of two people directly implicated in this attack.
"This does not mean that the two people under arrest are those who carried out the attack in Barcelona - but they are connected to the attack."
A van was used to plough into pedesrians echoing previous terror attacks in London, Berlin, Nice and Stockholm
Oukabir is believed to have been born in Morocco (Image: Facebook)
"Neither of them was the person driving the van.
"Neither of them has any convictions for terrorism.
"One is from Melilla (a Spanish enclave in north Africa) and the other is Moroccan.
"One person was arrested in Alcanar and the other, a Moroccan, in Ripoll."
Mr Trapero confirmed one person was shot dead as a car attempted to break through a police cordon, leaving an officer with a broken leg.
But he said: "He is a Spanish national and at the moment we have no indication he is linked to these other people."
Citizens of 24 countries were among those killed and injured in Barcelona. Spanish media reported three Germans were among the dead as well as Greek and Belgian nationals.
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