Six civilians and one police officer were hurt when a car drove into people in the Spanish seaside resort of Cambrils early on Friday, the regional the government said, just hours after a similar deadly attack in nearby Barcelona.
As security forces hunted for the van’s driver, who was seen escaping on foot, police said they had killed five attackers on Thursday night in Cambrils, a town south of Barcelona, to thwart a “terrorist attack” using explosive belts. Six civilians and a police officer were injured in the operation.
Police said the Cambrils plot was linked to the van attack.
According to police, the 5 suspects killed were carrying bomb belts and had run over civilians with a car.
The situation in Cambrils is now under control. Police said on Twitter the operation in Cambrils was still ongoing and urged caution.
Meanwhile, a manhunt was underway for the driver of a van that mowed through crowds of tourists on Barcelona’s most famous avenue on Thursday, killing at least 13 people in an attack that was claimed by Islamic State.
The Islamic State claim could not immediately be verified.
If the involvement of Islamist militants is confirmed, it would be the latest in a string of attacks in the past 13 months in which they have used vehicles to bring carnage to the streets of European cities.
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