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Spain Looking for Moroccan Man in Barcelona Attack Investigation Spain Looking for Moroccan Man in Barcelona Attack Investigation
(35 minutes later)
BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish authorities said on Saturday they were hunting for a 22-year-old Moroccan-born man whom they now suspect was the driver of the van that plowed through central Barcelona this week, in the country’s worst terrorist attack in more than a decade.BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish authorities said on Saturday they were hunting for a 22-year-old Moroccan-born man whom they now suspect was the driver of the van that plowed through central Barcelona this week, in the country’s worst terrorist attack in more than a decade.
The police believe the terrorist cell that carried out the attack in Barcelona, and another in a seaside resort town to the southwest, Cambrils, was composed of at least 12 men. The two assaults left at least 14 dead and injured scores, with the victims coming from 34 countries. So far, five suspects have been killed and four have been arrested. The police believe the terrorist cell that carried out the attack in Barcelona, and another in a seaside resort town to the southwest, Cambrils, was composed of at least 12 men. The two assaults left at least 14 dead, all but one in Barcelona, and injured scores, with the victims coming from 34 countries.
So far, seven suspects have been killed and four have been arrested, but with at least one more suspect still on the run, Spaniards remained on edge, fearing another attack. So far, seven suspects have been killed and four have been arrested, but with at least one more suspect still unaccounted for, Spaniards remained on edge, even though the authorities said on Saturday that the cell had been dismantled and that there was no imminent threat of another attack.
Spanish and Catalan authorities decided on Saturday to maintain the terrorist threat level at 4 (on a scale of 5), but said that security would be reinforced. The Islamic State militant group, which quickly claimed responsibility for the attack in Barcelona on Thursday, said on Saturday that it had been behind the deadly events in Cambrils, as well.
The focus of the manhunt Saturday was Younes Abouyaaqoub, who is believed to have fled on foot after weaving a van through Las Ramblas, a central pedestrian area of Barcelona.The focus of the manhunt Saturday was Younes Abouyaaqoub, who is believed to have fled on foot after weaving a van through Las Ramblas, a central pedestrian area of Barcelona.
Of the men suspected of being behind the events, ages 17 to 34, none had a criminal record linking them to extremist or terrorism-related activities. In addition to the suspects who have been killed and arrested, the police have found the remains of two people in the rubble of a house in the town of Alcanar that had been used as a bomb factory. Mr. Abouyaaqoub, like the other young men — they ranged in age from 17 to 34 — believed to be part of the cell, did not have a criminal record linking him to extremist or terrorism-related activities.
In addition to the suspects who have been killed and arrested, the police have found the remains of two people in the rubble of a house in the town of Alcanar that had been used as a bomb factory. They also found traces of the explosive TATP.
In addition to the suspects who have been killed and arrested, the police have found the remains of two people in the rubble of a house in the town of Alcanar that had been used as a bomb factory.
The focus on Mr. Abouyaaqoub comes after the police explored the possibility that the driver of the Barcelona van may have been Moussa Oubakir, a 17-year-old from Morocco who died early Friday in a shootout with the police in Cambrils.The focus on Mr. Abouyaaqoub comes after the police explored the possibility that the driver of the Barcelona van may have been Moussa Oubakir, a 17-year-old from Morocco who died early Friday in a shootout with the police in Cambrils.
Instead, the police are now investigating whether Mr. Abouyaaqoub fled the van after it came to a halt near a Joan Miró mosaic on Las Ramblas, hijacked another car, killed its driver and eluded inspectors by going through a police checkpoint.Instead, the police are now investigating whether Mr. Abouyaaqoub fled the van after it came to a halt near a Joan Miró mosaic on Las Ramblas, hijacked another car, killed its driver and eluded inspectors by going through a police checkpoint.
The police later found the body of a Spanish man who had been stabbed to death in an abandoned Ford Focus about three kilometers, or less than two miles, from the city center, and they are trying to determine if there was a connection with the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.The police later found the body of a Spanish man who had been stabbed to death in an abandoned Ford Focus about three kilometers, or less than two miles, from the city center, and they are trying to determine if there was a connection with the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.
At the same time, Josep Lluís Trapero, a senior Catalan police chief, told the local news media on Friday that it was too early to rule out the possibility that Mr. Abouyaaqoub was among the two men killed in the Alcanar explosion Wednesday night.At the same time, Josep Lluís Trapero, a senior Catalan police chief, told the local news media on Friday that it was too early to rule out the possibility that Mr. Abouyaaqoub was among the two men killed in the Alcanar explosion Wednesday night.
The attack in Barcelona was the worst in Spain since 2004, when a series of bombs ripped through commuter trains in Madrid, killing more than 191, and the authorities suspect that the terrorist cell had been planning an even more deadly assault, but that it had to scale back plans after that explosion. The attack in Barcelona was the worst in Spain since 2004, when a series of bombs ripped through commuter trains in Madrid, killing 192, and the authorities suspect that the terrorist cell had been planning an even more deadly assault, but that it had to scale back plans after that explosion.
The authorities in Alcanar carried out controlled explosions Saturday morning — “If you hear detonations DO NOT be alarmed,” the Catalan police said on Twitter — because of concerns that there might still be explosives and gas canisters in the rubble.The authorities in Alcanar carried out controlled explosions Saturday morning — “If you hear detonations DO NOT be alarmed,” the Catalan police said on Twitter — because of concerns that there might still be explosives and gas canisters in the rubble.
The remains of two people in the house have been identified, and investigators are continuing to search the premises and to carry out DNA tests as security forces sift through the rubble.The remains of two people in the house have been identified, and investigators are continuing to search the premises and to carry out DNA tests as security forces sift through the rubble.
A Mossos official and local news reports said they had found traces of TATP, an explosive often used by the Islamic State that is relatively cheap but highly volatile because it explodes at low temperatures. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Barcelona assault. A Mossos official and local news reports said they had found traces of TATP, an explosive often used by the Islamic State that is relatively cheap but highly volatile because it explodes at low temperatures.
The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, issued its second claim of responsibility, for the attack in Cambrils, on Saturday, saying they had “killed and wounded more than 120 citizens of the Crusader coalition” for the twin assaults.
The statement was disseminated on the group’s official Nashir channel, and included erroneous material, most likely taken from news reports that were later corrected, stating that the perpetrators had used small arms to attack a bar near Las Ramblas.
Javier Marti Meix, a subinspector for the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, said that two bodies had been found after the explosions in the house in the Montecarlo neighborhood of Alcanar, but it is possible that more could be buried in the rubble.
The people inside the house were occupying it illegally, he said, as do other poor families in the area, which has some of the town’s oldest and least-desirable houses. The house belonged to Banco Popular, which had took it back in a foreclosure.
Mr. Abouyaaqoub was living in Ripoll, the Catalan town that was also home to two of the five men — Mr. Oukabir and Mohamed Hychami — who were shot and killed by the police in Cambrils.Mr. Abouyaaqoub was living in Ripoll, the Catalan town that was also home to two of the five men — Mr. Oukabir and Mohamed Hychami — who were shot and killed by the police in Cambrils.
Mr. Oukabir’s older brother Driss is among the four people who have been detained, although his role in the plot is unclear. He was taken into custody when he walked into a police station and said that his identity documents had been stolen.Mr. Oukabir’s older brother Driss is among the four people who have been detained, although his role in the plot is unclear. He was taken into custody when he walked into a police station and said that his identity documents had been stolen.
Separately, the authorities continued with the grim task of identifying the victims of the attacks and notifying their families. The Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had offered its assistance to a 43-year-old woman who was seriously injured and whose 7-year-old son has been missing since the attack. Separately, the authorities continued with the grim task of identifying the victims of the attacks and notifying their families. In a statement on Saturday, the Catalan authorities said a total of 107 people had been wounded in the two attacks — 99 in Barcelona — and that 12 people were in critical condition.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had offered its assistance to a 43-year-old woman who was seriously injured and whose 7-year-old son has been missing since the attack.
The woman, who has not been publicly identified, is married to a British citizen and lives and works in Australia. She had traveled to Barcelona with her son for the wedding of a cousin from the Philippines, according to the statement.The woman, who has not been publicly identified, is married to a British citizen and lives and works in Australia. She had traveled to Barcelona with her son for the wedding of a cousin from the Philippines, according to the statement.
An Irish man of Philippine descent and his 5-year-old were also wounded in the attack, the statement said, adding that surgery on the boy’s leg had been successful.An Irish man of Philippine descent and his 5-year-old were also wounded in the attack, the statement said, adding that surgery on the boy’s leg had been successful.
In Finland, the authorities announced that they were now treating a stabbing attack that left two people dead in the western town of Turku on Friday as a terrorist attack. In Finland, the authorities announced that they were now treating a stabbing attack that left two people dead in the southwestern town of Turku on Friday as a terrorist attack.
Moroccans figured heavily among the suspects in the Spanish attacks, as well as in earlier assaults in Belgium and France, and the stabbing rampage in Turku was also attributed to a citizen of Morocco.Moroccans figured heavily among the suspects in the Spanish attacks, as well as in earlier assaults in Belgium and France, and the stabbing rampage in Turku was also attributed to a citizen of Morocco.
The Finnish police said the suspect is an 18-year-old man from that country, and they know his identity. He was apprehended after being shot in the leg.The Finnish police said the suspect is an 18-year-old man from that country, and they know his identity. He was apprehended after being shot in the leg.