Three Barcelona attack suspects arrested in France
February 20, 2018
Three people have been detained in connection with August's terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. The arrests were made in the French regions of Gard and Tarn, following a joint French and Spanish police operation.
The three are being held as part of an inquiry into "attempted murder as part of a terrorist enterprise" and "criminal terrorist association," the prosecutor said.
Terror in Barcelona
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Their identities and nationalities have not been disclosed, while formal charges are still pending.
The individuals are believed to have links to Moroccan national Driss Oukabir, who is suspected of having rented the van used in the rampage on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas boulevard on August 17.
Oukabir, who was arrested shortly after the attack, is currently in Spanish police custody. He faces charges of murder as well as membership of a terror organization.
Spanish police believe that a 12-man terror cell was behind the two attacks.
France's top anti-terrorism prosecutor, Francois Molins, revealed in late August that several of the suspects had been in the Paris region in the days leading up to the attacks. Molins said French authorities were trying to establish whether the attackers had been in contact with other persons of interest in France.
Spain terror attacks - what we know
Twin vehicle attacks in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cambrils have left 14 people dead and more than 120 injured. Police have arrested four men and are searching for other suspects believed to be on the run.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/O. Duran
Terror attack
Witnesses in Barcelona said a van zigzagged down one of city's busiest tourist avenues, Las Ramblas, mowing down pedestrians and leaving bodies strewn across the ground. Police confirmed it was a terrorist attack.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Lago
Second rampage
Several hours later, a speeding car killed one person and injured five in the seaside resort of Cambrils. The car's five occupants were shot dead by police. Catalonian authorities have confirmed that the two attacks were linked.
Image: Reuters/Reuters TV
Manhunt started
Police say they have arrested four men suspected of having a role in the attacks. They are still searching for the driver of the vehicle used in Barcelona. He is believed to be on the run, although officials have said he also could have been one of the five shot dead in Cambrils.
Image: REUTERS/Stringer
'Islamic State' claim responsibility
The so-called "Islamic State" (IS) terror group claimed responsibility for the attacks. "The perpetrators of the Barcelona attack are soldiers of the Islamic State and carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting coalition states," the group's news agency said.
Image: Getty Images/D. Ramos
Suspects in custody
Police said three of the detained suspects are Moroccan, and one is a Spaniard. None of them were known to have links to terror groups.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Lago
Several victims critical
The Catalan government said that at least 13 people had died in the Barcelona attack, with 61 still receiving treatment for injuries in hospital - 17 of them in a critical condition. Four people wounded in the Cambrils attack remain in hospital. The victims came from at least 34 countries, officials said.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Lago
Makeshift memorial
On Friday, thousands of people gathered around a makeshift memorial in Las Ramblas, the site where the van came to a halt. Many left flowers and candles in honor of the victims.
Image: picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
Three days of mourning
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced three days of official mourning for what he called a "jihadist attack." At a news conference in Barcelona, he told reporters: "Today the fight against terrorism is the principal priority for free and open societies like ours. It is a global threat and the response has to be global."
Image: Imago/robertharding/P. Higgins
Minute of silence
King Felipe of Spain, Prime Minister Rajoy and Catalonia Regional President Carles Puigdemont join crowds gathered for a minute of silence in Las Ramblas.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Fernandez
Suspicious explosion
Spanish authorities are also investigating the scene of an explosion late Wednesday that killed one person in the city of Alcanar, some 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Barcelona. Police first thought the explosion was an accident but said Thursday they now believe an explosive device intended for use in Barcelona was being prepared in the building.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Europa Press/Bombers De La Generalitat
