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A law enforcement official takes charge after a van struck pedestrians in a popular area of the city August 17, 2017. Associated Press
A Catalan official gave an update on the Barcelona van attack, saying 13 people are dead, and some 100 were injured. The fatality number could rise.
Catalan officials have declared three days of mourning.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadly Barcelona van attack in statement carried on its Aamaq news agency, and Catalan officials said the incident was “most likely” a terrorist attack.
A white van jumped the sidewalk Thursday in Barcelona’s historic Las Ramblas district, crashing into a summer crowd of residents and tourists, police said.
A senior police official said two suspects were in custody in the Barcelona van attack. One is a Spanish national from Melilla, and the other is a Moroccan.
In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street of the northern Spanish city Thursday afternoon, apparently being helped by police and others. Other videos showed five people down and recorded people screaming as they fled the scene.
Police cordoned off the broad, popular street, ordering stores and nearby Metro and train stations to close. They asked people to stay away from the area so as not to get in the way of emergency services. A helicopter hovered over the scene.
Las Ramblas, a street of stalls and shops that cuts through the center of Barcelona, is one of the city’s top tourist destinations. People walk down a wide, pedestrianized path in the center of the street, but cars can travel on either side.
The Spanish newspaper El Pais quoted unnamed police sources as saying the perpetrators of the crash were holed up in a bar in Tallers Street. There was no immediate police confirmation of the report.
Developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: skift.com