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Barcelona suspect admits Spanish terror cell was planning a bigger attack with explosives Barcelona terror suspects say they were planning 'a larger atrocity' and blame dead imam for attacks
(about 1 hour later)
A suspected member of the Spanish terror cell that carried out attacks on Barcelona and Cambrils last week has admitted in court that the group planned a bigger attack using explosives. Suspects in the Spanish terror attack investigation have admitted a bigger attack was planned and blamed a dead imam for the outrage, according to court sources. 
Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 21, is the first suspect to testify. A total of fifteen people were killed in two vehicle ramming attacks and a car-jacking in Catalonia last week, and 130 were injured. 
Sources present at his closed hearing said he admitted the group planned a much larger assault. 
Mr Chemlal was moved under heavy security from a detention centre in Tres Cantos, near Madrid, to the High Court earlier today. 
He is being held without bail. 
Police now believe all the attack suspects have either been killed or captured.Police now believe all the attack suspects have either been killed or captured.
Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 21 and Driss Oukabir, 27, both appeared for hearings in Spain's High Court on Tuesday, though Oukabir denied involvement in the atrocity. 
Two other suspects also appeared in court: Sahal el Karib, 34, and Mohammed Aalla, 27.
Prosecutors asked for the four to be sent to prison without bail on preliminary charges of being part of a terrorist organisation, homicide, causing havoc and dealing with explosives. 
Mr Chemlal was the first suspect to testify and admitted in court that the group planned a bigger attack using explosives, sources said.
He is the only suspect to have conceded being part of the cell. 
The terrorists' broader plans are believed to have failed after a stockpile of gas canisters, to be used in an attack, blew up their safe house in Alcanar. The terrorists' broader plans are believed to have failed after a stockpile of gas canisters, to be used in an attack, blew up their safe house in Alcanar. 
Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty, 45, is believed to have been killed in the accidental explosion. 
He was accused by two unnamed suspects of organising the plot and wanted to blow himself up in the attack, Mr Chemlal said, according a court official. 
Satty is suspected of having radicalised the terror cell responsible for the outrages.
Mr Chemlal survived the explosion and was arrested in Alcanar, 120 miles south of Barcelona, a day before the ramming attacks.Mr Chemlal survived the explosion and was arrested in Alcanar, 120 miles south of Barcelona, a day before the ramming attacks.
Traces of a high explosive, triacetone triperoxide, were said to have been found in the house, along with the remains of two bodies. Traces of a high explosive, triacetone triperoxide, were said to have been found in the house, along with the remains of two bodies. 
The same substance was used in suicide bombings in Manchester, Brussels and Paris. The same substance was used in suicide bombings in Manchester, Brussels and Paris. 
Driss Oukabir, 27, also appeared in a closed session in court on Tuesday and denied being part of the terrorist cell. Driss Oukabir, 27, also appeared in a closed session in court on Tuesday and denied being part of the terrorist cell.
In a break with his original story, he admitted renting the vans used in the attacks but said he thought they were going to be used for a house move, according to a source speaking to AP.  In a break with his original story, he admitted renting the vans used in the attacks but said he thought they were going to be used for a house move, according to a source speaking with AP. 
Mr Oukabir, who was arrested in Ripoll, said he changed his story out of fear.  Mr Oukabir, who was arrested in the town of Ripoll, said he changed his initial story out of fear. 
He previously claimed his documents were stolen by his brother, Moussa, to rent the vehicle which killed 13 people in the busy Las Ramblas district of Barcelona. He previously claimed his documents were stolen by his brother, Moussa, to rent the vehicle which killed 13 people in the busy Las Ramblas district of Barcelona. 
A total of fifteen people were killed in two vehicle ramming attacks and a car-jacking last week. 
The alleged driver of the van, Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, remained at large for four days before being shot by police in the town of Subirats yesterday.The alleged driver of the van, Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, remained at large for four days before being shot by police in the town of Subirats yesterday.
Five other suspects, Moussa Oukabir, 17, Said Aalla, 18, Houssaine Abouyaaqoub, 19, Omar Hychami, 21, Mohamed Hychami, 24, were shot in Cambrils after they carried out a second vehicular attack on the same day as the Barcelona outrage. Five other suspects, Moussa Oukabir, 17, Said Aalla, 18, Houssaine Abouyaaqoub, 19, Omar Hychami, 21, Mohamed Hychami, 24, were shot in Cambrils after they carried out a second vehicular attack on the same day as the Barcelona outrage. 
Additional reporting by agencies.