Spain terror attack as it happened: Fourth suspect arrested

The U.N. Security Council is strongly condemning the terrorist attack in Barcelona and paying tribute to the innocent victims.

Egypt's U.N. Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, the council president, began Friday's meeting on Yemen denouncing Thursday's deadly attack in Spain.

He said: "On behalf of the members of the Security Council, I should like to condemn in the strongest terms the unconscionable terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain, which targeted innocent civilians."

Aboulatta said the Security Council sends its "deepest condolences" to the families. Many ambassadors and diplomats stood with their heads bowed in tribute.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have held a minute of silence for the victims of the attacks in Spain before their training sessions.

Real Madrid players huddled Friday before beginning their activities at the team's training center in Madrid, while Barcelona's squad lined up in silence before its practice session at the team's headquarters.

Barcelona team President Josep Bartomeu joined thousands at a minute of silence near where the driver of a van started an attack Thursday that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 100 others in Barcelona.

There will be a minute of silence held before every Spanish league game this weekend, beginning with Friday's opening matches: Leganes vs. Alaves and Valencia vs. Las Palmas.

Other soccer leagues across Europe have also planned acts to honor the victims of the attacks. The French league will hold a minute of silence before games.

Two memorials to the victims have grown on Barcelona's historic Las Ramblas promenade — one at the top near where the van jumped the curb, the other on the Joan Miro mosaic embedded in the pavement where it stopped.

An ever-expanding jumble of flags, candles, teddy bears and flowers were placed at the base of the ornate Canaletes Fountain. "We are not afraid! We are not afraid!" onlookers chanted in Spanish.

Jesus Borrull, a lifelong resident, gently pushed through the crowd to kneel and pray in front of the fountain. Legend has it that visitors who drink from the fountain will fall in love with Barcelona and return to the city.

Borrull says "the only thing we can do is go forward with peace and goodness ... even though it's difficult, we have to do it."

At the other memorial, bystanders held signs declaring they are not afraid. A guitar player strummed out "Imagine" by John Lennon while several people sang along.

IBTimes UK has created a list of maps to explain how the Las Ramblas attack unfolded. Full article here.

The UK Prime Minister Theresa May has offered her condolences after the attack. She added that "a number of British nationals were caught up in the attack", possibly including a missing child.

Watch May's speech here:

The State Department says at least one American was killed and one was injured in the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, Spain.

The department said Friday that diplomats from the U.S. consulate in Barcelona are continuing to work with local authorities to identify victims and provide assistance to Americans.

The department did not identify either of the Americans, but said the injured person suffered only a minor wound.

Spanish authorities are still investigating whether a car that rammed a police checkpoint in the confused hours after the Barcelona van attack on Thursday was linked to the bloodshed in the city.

Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero said the driver of a Ford Focus rammed the control post and wounded a sergeant. Another officer shot at the car, which stopped, he said. Police found a dead body inside and first thought they had shot and killed the person, but forensic reports showed it was a knife wound.

Trapero said a second person may have been in the car. He said it was unclear how or whether it was linked to the other attacks in Spain on Thursday and Friday.

Italy's premier has released the names of two Italians slain in the Barcelona van attack.

Premier Gentiloni tweeted Friday that "Italy remembers Bruno Gulotta and Luca Russo and gathers tight around their families. Freedom will conquer the barbarianism of terrorism."

Gulotta, 35, was hailed in his hometown of Legnano as a hero for putting himself between the van and his 6-year-old son and 7-month-old daughter as he strolled with his wife Thursday in the Spanish city.

Italian media reported that Russo, 25, held a university degree in engineering and lived in northern Italy. An Italian officials said Russo's girlfriend suffered fractures and remains hospitalized.

Verrecchia said two other Italians were injured but have since been released from the hospital.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has offered her sympathies to the King of Spain and to the nation following attacks in in Barcelona and the seaside community of Cambrils.
The British monarch says it is "deeply upsetting when innocent people are put at risk in this way when going about their daily lives."

The queen said Friday that she and Prince Philip offer sincere condolences and that their thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones or are in the hospital.

Fourteen people died and over 100 were injured in attacks Thursday and early Friday.

Police in Spain say that attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils had been prepared some time ago.

Senior police official Josep Lluis Trapero said Friday police believe the two attacks were connected with an explosion in a house in the town of Alcanar on Wednesday in which one person was killed. Police believe one of the person injured in that blast and now arrested had links to the two attacks.

Trapero said Cambrils terrorists carried an axe and knives in the car and body belts with false explosives.

Four people have been arrested in all. Thirteen people were killed in the attack in Barcelona on Thursday and one in the resort town Cambrils early Friday.

Turkey's president has condemned the van attack in Barcelona, Spain, in which 13 people were killed.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul on Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he "strongly condemned" the attack.

State-run Anadolu news agency reports that Erdogan sent a note offering condolences to King Felipe VI earlier in the day.

Turkish media reports that 33-year-old Turkish businessman Emre Eroglu was injured in the attack. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has instructed Turkish consular officials to accompany him at the hospital and says he is in good condition and has received surgery on a broken foot.

Pope Francis says the extremist attack in Barcelona gravely offends God.

Francis sent a condolence telegram Friday to Barcelona's cardinal, expressing "sorrow and pain" over "such an inhumane action."

In his message, the pope "once again condemns blind violence, which is a very grave offense to the Creator."

He offered his blessing for all the victims, their families and "all the beloved Spanish people."

Francis also expressed "sadness and pain" over the news of the "cruel terrorist attack that has sown death and sorrow on the Rambla of Barcelona."

Police chief Josep Lluis Trapero, who is leading the investigation, has said during a press conference that the identity of the man who drove then van into a crowd in Barcelona has not been confirmed yet.

He also said the driver could be among the five suspects killed as they tried to carry out a similar attack in Cambrils.

Earlier today, local media reported that police believe Moussa Oukabir could be the fourth suspect behind the Barcelona attack.

Oukabir – brother of Driss Oukabir, who reportedly turned himself in – is still on the loose.

IBTimes UK has compiled a list of all majour terror attacks that have occurred in Europe since 2015. Isis terror group has claimed responsibility for the majority of these attacks.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has sent her condolences to the families of the victims and said "terrorism can never defeat us".

"We are united in our resolve not to allow these murderers to stop us living our way of life," she said.

Watch her full speech below:

Three people arrested with link to Catalonia attacks are from Morocco and one from Spain, a police official was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says the fight against terrorism is a "global battle" and Europe's main problem after two attacks in Catalonia that killed 14 people.

Rajoy also thanked the emergency services for their work and messages of support from around the world after the van attack in Barcelona killed 13 people, and subsequent violence in the seaside resort of Cambrils that killed one woman.

Rajoy was speaking at a joint news conference in Barcelona with Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont.

Police say a fourth person has been arrested in connection with the attacks in Barcelona and resort of Cambrils, according to Reuters.

The identity of the person who was arrested has not yet been revealed.

Poland's interior minister says "Europe should wake up" after the Barcelona attack and realize it's dealing with a "clash of civilizations" that proves his government's point that accepting migrants is a tragedy for Europe.

Mariusz Blaszczak says Friday his country is safe because "we do not have Muslim communities which are enclaves, which are a natural support base for Islamic terrorists."

The ruling Law and Justice party has taken a strong anti-migrant stance, refusing to accept any refugees in a European Union resettlement plan, creating tensions with Brussels.

Blaszczak insisted late Thursday on state TVP that Warsaw will not succumb to EU pressure because it is putting Poland's security needs first.

He said: "The refugee resettlement system is a system that is encouraging millions of people to come to Europe."

When a few people raised Spanish and Catalan flags before the minute of silence for the Barcelona attack victims, the crowd quickly rebuked them for trying to politicize the solemn event.

The crowd urged them to lower the flags, chanting "Fuera la bandera," or "Get rid of the flags."

It was a rare moment when the question of whether the Catalonia region should become independent from Spain didn't divide people. Polls show the region is split ahead of a planned referendum, which Spain's central government considers would be illegal to hold, on Oct. 1.

Anna Esquerdo, a lifelong Barcelona resident who works in a uniform apparel store, said "we're here for the victims and to protest what happened. This is not about anyone's politics."

Another Italian citizen is believed to have been killed in the Barcelona attack.

An Italian foreign ministry official was quoted by Reuters as saying two Italians were among those confirmed dead.

Stefano Verrecchia, who heads the ministry's crisis unit, said authorities had not yet disclosed the victims' name.

However, one of the victims is believed to be 35-year-old Bruno Gulotta, an Italian father of two.

Israel's president has expressed his nation's sympathy to the people of Spain and said the world must join together to fight terrorism.

Reuven Rivlin on Friday sent a letter of condolences to King Felipe VI after the bloodshed in Barcelona.

Rivlin said "terrorism is terrorism is terrorism, whether it takes place in Barcelona, Paris, Istanbul or Jerusalem."

He said "these horrific events once again prove that we must all stand united in the fight against those who seek to use violence to stifle individual liberty and freedom of thought and belief, and continue to destroy the lives of so many."

Israel is coping with a wave of deadly Palestinian attacks against civilians and security forces that erupted in 2015.

Palestinians say it stems from anger at decades of Israeli rule in territories they claim for a state.

The UK Foreign Office has said it is helping a number of British nationals affected by the attack.

"Our thoughts are with the victims of these terrible attacks and the people of Spain," a spokesperson was quoted by the Guardian as saying.

"We are currently assisting a small number of British people affected and are working to find out if any more need our help. We have deployed additional staff to Barcelona and have offered support to the Spanish authorities."

The death toll has risen to 14, after authorities said a woman injured during the Cambrils attack has now died.

A minute of silence was observed at Barcelona's main square, Plaza de Catalunya. Several officials, including Spain's King Felipe and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy attended the event.

A minute of silence was also held at European Union buildings in Brussels, where flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Another victim of the Barcelona attack has been identified as 35-year-old Bruno Gulotta, an Italian father of two.

Gulotta was on holiday with his partner and children and worked at Tom's Hardware. The company said on its Facebook page: "Yesterday afternoon, terrorists killed our friend and colleague Bruno Gulotta."

The victim was walking along Las Ramblas with his family, when the van hit him.

His partner Martina was carrying the couple's 7-month-old daughter and managed to drag their 5-year-old son – who was walking next to Gulotta – to safety when the van ploughed into a crowd, Italian news site La Repubblica reported.

Germany's Foreign Ministry says that there were multiple German citizens among the injured in the attacks in Spain.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer told reporters in Berlin on Friday that at the moment they know of 13 Germans injured, "some of them seriously, so seriously that they are still fighting for their lives."

He says he could not confirm unsourced media reports that Germans were also killed in the attacks.

He says, however, "we also can't rule that out."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expressing her sympathy with Spain over the attacks in Barcelona, and says such violence cannot be allowed to change the European way of life.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Merkel said Friday that "these murderous attacks have once again showed us the total hatred of humanity with which Islamist terrorism acts."

She added "we will not allow these murderers to make us depart from our path, from our way of life."

She said "terrorism can cause us bitter and deeply sad hours, as has happened in Spain, but it won't defeat us."

She said the Foreign Ministry is still working with Spanish authorities to say whether any Germans were among the victims. "This can't be said with great precision right now," she added.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has attended an emergency security meeting in Barcelona to coordinate the investigation into the terror attacks in the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Rajoy met on Friday morning with Spain's interior minister and police and emergency officials. He said on Twitter that the meeting was to "analyze the latest details of the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils."

Belgian officials are identifying a woman from the town of Tongeren killed in the van attack in Barcelona as Elke Vanbockrijck.

Two officials, who declined to be identified on the record, confirmed Vanbockrijck's name to The Associated Press on Friday.

Tongeren Mayor Patrick Dewael said in a tweet late Thursday that a woman from his town had died, and sent his condolences. He told Belgian radio that he had presided over her wedding in 2014.

Belgian media said the 44-year-old woman was holidaying in Barcelona with her husband and sons.

Foreign minister Didier Reynders also confirmed that two Belgians were injured in the attack, one of them seriously.

The Irish and Romanian governments have both confirmed that their nationals were among the 100 people injured when a truck was driven at tourists on Barcelona's Ramblas.

Irish officials say a 5-year-old boy and his father are among those injured in the terror attack in Barcelona.

Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Coveney, says a 5-year-old boy and his father received injuries that were not life-threatening. They were part a family of four celebrating the birthday of the youngster, who suffered a broken leg.

Coveney says it's a miracle more Irish citizens weren't hurt as "there are so many Irish people in Spain, Barcelona and Cambrils at this time of year."

Romania's foreign ministry says three Romanians are among the injured. All three were hospitalized, and the ministry said that two are in a stable condition while the third suffered light injuries. Romania's consul there was in touch with the injured, who were not identified.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is condemning the van attack in Barcelona claimed by the Islamic State group that killed at least 13 people.

In a statement issued in Beirut Friday, the group said the attack must be a renewed incentive to eliminate the group "whose ideology is based on hate."

Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim group whose military wing is considered a terrorist group by the EU, is fighting against IS, a Sunni organization, in both Lebanon and neighboring Syria.

The statement said that "targeting innocent civilians and killing them is part of a satanic plot being carried out by those terrorists, which aims at tarnishing the concept of jihad (holy war) and sullying the image of Islam."

Spanish police have revealed the identity of the main suspect behind the terror attack in Barcelona.

Authorities believe at least four people were behind the carnage. Three of them – including suspect Driss Oukabir, who reportedly turned himself in – have been arrested so far.

Authorities have now identified Moussa Oukabir as the fourth suspect. Moussa is believed to be aged 17 or 18 years old.

Oukabir, the brother of Driss, is on the loose and is considered dangerous as he could be armed, Spanish media reported, citing police sources.

A family in Australia are appealing for help to find their seven-year-old boy who is still missing following the attack in Las Ramblas.

Julian Alessandro Cadman became separated from his mother, who was seriously injured in the van attack.

His grandfather posted on Facebook: "My Grandson, Julian Alessandro Cadman is missing. Please like and share. We have found Jom (my daughter in law) and she is serious but stable condition in hospital.

"Julian is seven years old and was out with Jom when they were separated, due to the recent terrorist activity.Please share if you have family or friends in Barcelona."

Full story here:

German politicians have agreed to call off election campaigning for the day in the aftermath of the attacks in Barcelona and a nearby seaside resort.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's main challenger in the September election says he spoke with her and both agreed to suspend campaigning.

The Social Democrat's Martin Schulz told reporters in Berlin on Friday that they made the decision "as a sign of solidarity for those people affected in Spain" by the attacks.

He says: "these are bitter days."

Schulz added that there was a "common will that there is no place for terror" and that Europe would continue to be an "open tolerant society."

Speaking of the attackers and their backers, he says "one has to send them the message that they will not win."

A British man who survived the Manchester Area bombing in May was also caught up in the Barcelona terror attack.

Chris Pawley, 30, from Oldham, was close to the popular tourist spot Las Ramblas when the van ploughed into pedestrians.

Catalan authorities are confirming that the five suspects killed in a police shootout in the seaside resort of Cambrils had plowed down pedestrians and police in a car attack and were wearing fake bomb belts.

The attack early Friday in Cambrils came hours after a white van mowed down tourists and locals in the popular Las Ramblas promenade in Barcelona, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 100.

Catalonia's interior minister, Joaquim Forn, tells Onda Cero radio that the suspects in Cambrils were driving in an Audi 3 and began plowing down people when they reached a populated area near the boardwalk. A police car was damaged and an officer was among the six people injured.

Forn says the suspects killed in a subsequent shootout with police were wearing fake bomb belts. He says the belts were very well made, and that authorities only determined they were phony after a controlled explosion.

A town mayor in Belgium says a woman from his town has died in the van attack in a major tourist area in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

Patrick Dewael confirmed in a tweet late Thursday that the woman was from Tongeren, 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of Brussels, and sent his condolences. He told Belgian radio that he had presided over her wedding in 2014.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders also confirmed that two Belgians were wounded in the attack, one of them seriously.

The Ramblas walkway has quietly reopened to the public, the morning after a van rampage that killed 13 and wounded more than 100.

Friday morning, residents and tourists were allowed past police lines and slowly trickled back to their homes and hotels. The city center remained under heavy surveillance.

A demonstration that will include a minute of silence honoring the victims was announced by public officials for Friday at noon at the Plaza Catalunya, next to the top of the Ramblas, where the deadly attack began.

Danish authorities have confirmed that there are two Danes among those "lightly wounded" following the deadly van attack on tourists in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

Leaders in the Nordic and Baltic region are rushing to condemn the attack. Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he was "horrified by reports from Barcelona," while his Danish counterpart Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Europe has "again been attacked by terror."

In Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg called it "a cowardly attack," her Estonian colleague Juri Ratas called it "brutal" and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said it was "despicable.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has condemned the van attack in Barcelona, and extended his condolences to the families of those killed.

In a statement Friday, Abbasi said such terrorist attacks cannot scare the brave Spanish people.

He said "so long as the terrorists underestimate the spirit of the societies they seek to undermine, they will lose".

Catalan police tweeted that they have arrested the third suspect in Ripoll, about 96km north of Barcelona, in connection with the van rampage in Las Ramblas.

Spanish daily El Mundo cited government sources as saying that post-mortem has already been conducted on all the 13 killed in the Barcelona attack. Dental examination is pending that is expected to be carried out on Friday, 18 August.

DNA samples have also been collected from all the dead victims.

A man was dead after a police shootout at a roadblock in a town close to Barcelona on Thursday, 17 August, but police said it was not connected to the attack in Las Ramblas. They also found that the man did not die of gun shot.

Friday morning it emerged that the man was the owner of the car he was riding in at the time of the shootout.

Three Germans and one Belgian was among the 13 killed in the deadly Barcelona van rampage, police was quoted as saying by Spanish media.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the latest onslaught in Barcelona, saying that his country stands in "resolute solidarity" with the Spanish people in the wake of the extremist incident.

Australia is drafting special plans to prevent terror attacks in crowded places such as popular tourist destinations.

Spanish daily El Mundo reports that 186 suspected jihadists were arrested in Spain since terror alert level was raised to 4 in June 2015.

The French foreign ministry has said 26 citizens are among the nearly 100 injured in the Barcelona van attack. Foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will arrive in Barcelona on Friday (18 August), the Guardian reports.

11 of the 26 French nationals injured are in serious condition.

Emergency services tweeted that 1 person caught in the Camrbils attack is critical , 2 serious and 2 mild and they are all being treated at different hospitals in the town.

Spanish airports have made arrangements to receive relatives of the affected people who are flying in to Barcelona. Authorities have said that people from 24 nationalities were among those killed or injured in the deadly van attack.

"Enabled two spaces at the Airport # Barcelona with @ mossos @ CreuRojaCAT and # ProteccioCivil to receive affected relatives attack," the tweet says.

Lights at Paris' Eiffel Tower were turned off in solidarity to the victims of the Barcelona terror attack that killed 13 people and injured more than 100 others.

Messages are pouring in on social media to express solidarity with the victims in Spain.

The Catalan police have urged residents who have information on the Barcelona or Cambrils attacks to reach them through email or phone.

Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has confirmed that four Australians were injured in the Barcelona van attack. Two men, including one who was hit by the van, were treated for injuries and later released. One person remains unaccounted for, the minister added, The Guardian reports.

The Catalan government has clarified that the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils were related, the Associated Press reports.

The Catalan regional government has said that the Barcelona van attack victims include citizens from 24 countries, of which some are dead and the others wounded.

The manhunt to nab the driver of the Las Ramblas van attack is still ongoing. There are no updates from the police on the search.

Police in Cambrils have carried out controlled explosions. They had warned citizens earlier in the day not to be alarmed from the sounds of explosions.

"In few minutes we are going to make several controlled explosions in #Cambrils. If you hear detonations DO NOT be alarmed, are controlled!" Police said in a twitter post.

A spokesman for the regional government of Catalonia revealed details on the 'second terror attack' in Cambrils. Police have said that all the five attackers were carrying suicide belts.

There are conflicting media reports on whether these attackers also rammed their vehicle into civilians.

Police said all the five suspects killed in Cambrils were carrying bomb belts, Sky News reports. Four of the attackers were shot dead by police at the scene while the fifth was injured and died later.

Catalan police have issued an emergency number for family members of people affected by the terror attack. They can contact on (+34) 900 400 012 to get more updates on their loved ones.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy cut short his vacation and headed back to the Catalan capital following the attack to hold an emergency meeting on the terror attack. He called the Barcelona van attack "jihadi terrorsim".

"I want to express the solidarity of Spain with the city of Barcelona, which today has been hit by the jihadist terrorism as before were hit other cities around the world," Rajoy told a televised address from Barcelona where he was accompanied by his deputy.

Strongly condemning the deadly vehicular attack in Barcelona, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called it "jihadi terrorism". He cut short his vacation and headed to the region following the extremist attack on Thursday evening (17 August) that killed 13 people and injured scores others.

Showing solidarity to the victims of the Barcelona terror attacks in Spain, a World Trade centre tower in New York has been lit in the colours of the Spanish national flag.

Spanish police say the fifth attacker, who was injured, has died. "We confirm that the 5th terrorist killed in # Cambrils and that he was injured, has died / 5th terrorist wounded in # Cambrils finally has died," they said in a tweet.

Catalan police say that six bystanders and one police officer were injured during the operation in Cambrils. Two are seriously injured. The officer was slightly hurt, although it's not clear how they were injured.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE reported that the suspects in Cambril had attempted to carry out a similar attack to the one in Barcelona by driving a van at pedestrians. It reported seven people were injured, including two seriously.

Meanwhile back to the attack in Barcelona, the Spanish media reported that a three-year-old is among the dead, the child having been taken to San Pau hospital but was unable to be saved.

Officials said there are also at least 18 different nationalities among the dead and injured.

A spokesman for Spain's civil protection said the victims included nationals from France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Argentina, Venezuela, Belgium, Australia, Hungary, Peru, Romania, Ireland, Greece, Cuba, Macedonia, China, Italy and Algeria.

The Catalan police said officers shot dead four alleged perpetrators and injured one more during the counter-terror raid in Cambrils.

Video from the town appears to show the bodies of three people on the ground near the port area, the Guardian reported.

Meanwhile emergency services say the situation in Cambrils is "exceptional" and continue their plea for people to stay indoors.

Local media is reporting that four or five perpetrators have been killed in Cambrils, although this has not been confirmed by police.

A number of police officers were also reportedly injured during the operation. It has not been clarified how the operation in the town 120km from Barcelona is linked to the attack earlier in the day.

Police say they have killed "perpetrators" during the counter-terror raid in the town of Cambrils south of Barcelona.

Gunshots have been heard, at the moment authorities "have shot dead several attackers they say involved in a terrorist attack", Sky News reported.

Police said that a counter-terrorism operation is ongoing in the town of Cambrils and are warning of a "possible terror attack".

People have been advised to stay inside and not share unverified information.

IBTimes UK profiles what we know so far about one of the suspects, Driss Oukabir, who was born in the town of Aghbala, from where he moved to the French city of Marseille. He listed his likes as rap music and the Qu'uran.

He is 28-years-old and reportedly handed himself in to police after seeing his image widely circulated. His passport was found at the scene but local media say he denies involvement.

Senior police official Josep Lluis Trapero said the attack clearly "intended to kill as many people as possible".

He said the van driver made off on foot and was not believed to be armed.

The international nature of the attack on a tourism hub in Barcelona is being felt across the world.

Citing security sources, the broadcaster ZDF has reported that at least three German citizens were among those who died. Meanwhile, the Australian government has expressed concerns that some of its citizens were also caught up in the attack.

"We are concerned that Australians may be involved and the embassy there in Madrid and the consulates that are available are searching for the Australians in Barcelona," cabinet minister Christopher Pyne told Nine Network.

Police have reopened access to Las Ramblas and there are queues of people wanting to give blood to help. The clinic in question thanks people for their solidarity.

Police said that neither of the two detained suspects was the driver of the van.

Josep Lluis Trapero, a senior police officer, said the two suspects in custody, a Spanish national from Melilla and a Moroccan, were linked to the attack, "but that doesn't mean that either were the author of the attack".

According to Catalan police, the man killed after after fleeing police control "has nothing to do with the attack".

Local police say there is a link between the attack in Las Ramblas with an explosion earlier in the day in a small town in Tarragona, 100km south of Barcelona.

One person died and several were injured in Alcanar, in what was initially thought to be a gas explosion.

The Spanish La Liga has announced it will hold a minute's silence in honour of the victims of the Barcelona attack.

Three days of mourning have been declared by the Catalan regional president. The death toll has also been revised down to 12.

The bomb squad is checking area in outskirts of Barcelona outskirts near where driver of car who struck police officers was found.

An image shows a damaged van, believed to be the one used in the attack, surrounded by police officers in the Las Ramblas area of the city.

Catalonia's regional head, Carles Puigdemont, made a pledge to"vanquish terrorism".

He told a press conference that Catalonia is "a peaceful land where other people are welcome".

"Catalonia will always prevail in the face of terrorism. We will always be united. Democracy will always win against barbarism."

Islamic State (Isis) has said it was responsible for the attack, through its Amaq News Agency.

"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," it said.

This claim of responsibility has been widely shared on social media.

Barcelona's emergency services have said that 80 people were injured, up from initial reports of 50.

They said that 15 are in a serious condition and 23 in a less serious condition,

The rest suffered minor injuries.

The Union of Islamic Communities in Catalonia (UCIDCAT) has taken to Facebook to condemn the attacks.

In a post, the group said: "Catalan Muslims sends condolences to the families of the victims, wishing the full recovery of the injured and convey their solidarity with the people of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain.

"In light of this criminal fact, UCIDCAT reiterates its full commitment to the fight against any type of terrorism and I hope that those responsible for these attacks can be arrested and taken to justice as soon as possible."

The French president Emmanuel Macron has expressed his condolences with Spain and said both countries re "united and determined" after the "tragic attack".

He also tweeted in Spanish :"Solidarity with Barcelona. We are by your side".

Police have said that a second man has been arrested in connection with the attack.

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has tweeted her response.

She said: "Barcelona is a city of peace. Terror won't stop us being who we are: a city open to the world, brave and humanitarian."

Facebook has st up its safety check for people to check if their friends and loved ones in Barcelona are OK.

Local media is reporting that one attacker has died following a shootout with police, according La Vanguardia newspaper.

A Catalan official confirms that 13 people are dead and 50 injured.

There are local reports that one of the two men on the run has been killed by police but this is unconfirmed. A third man is under arrest.

One of the suspects is Driss Oukabir – it is unclear if he was arrested or is on the run.

There were widespread reports of Turkish establishment Bar Luna de Istanbul being held-up by gunmen in the immediate aftermath of the van attack.

Spanish police are now saying that no restaurant is under siege. However, this does not rule out the possibility that the venue was under attack.

Police have confirmed that 13 people are dead. This figure has previously been reported by local media but is now official.

Police said an additional 50 had been injured.

Catalan police have now confirmed that one man has been arrested. It is unclear if this is Driss Oukabir. Two other men are on the run.

Catalan police say that reports of people being holed up in a restaurant are false.

"Nobody is holed up in a restaurant in Barcelona city centre. We have arrested a man and we're treating the incident as a terrorist attack."

Donald Trump has made his first comments in the wake of the ongoing attack.

Officials say 64 people have so far been treated in hospital. We earlier heard that at least 32 had been injured – the figure could continue to rise.

Locals have already started offering up whatever assistance they can via social media.

"Barcelona Anyone who needs a home, a flat, etc., please contact me," says Jordi Miserachs.

The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has reported that one of the two suspected gunmen has been arrested.

It is possible that this is Driss Oukabir, the assailant identified by Spanish police, although they have not made this confirmation.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has commented on the unfolding attack.

He said: "Terrorists around the world should know, the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice."

Spain has been on terror alert level 4 (over 5) since June 2015.

Driss Oukabir, the suspect identified by police, is believed to be of Moroccan-French descent and from Marseilles.

London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has commented on the attack.

"London stands with Barcelona against the evil of terrorism," he said.

Images of cats have flooded Twitter under the hashtag #Barcelona in response to a police request not to show images of the dead and badly injured during an ongoing terrorist attack.

Cat pictures were also uploaded to Twitter en masse as a 2015 terrorist attack in Belgium unfolded after police asked internet users not to disclose their movements.

Police have identified one of the suspects as Driss Oukabir, according to newspaper El Pais

Taxi drivers in Barcelona are offering free rides to help evacuate people from the area.

Jeremy Corbyn tweeted that his thoughts are with the people killed and injured in Barcelona:

Barcelona football club, the beating heart of this city, issued a statement on Twitter:

Isis supporters are celebrating the attack in Barcelona, according to the Site intelligence group.

Photos show armed police in the area around Las Ramblas:

At least 12 people have been killed, according to local reports.

Cadena Ser radio station reports that a Spanish identity card with an Arabic name was found inside the van.

The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Spain:

"The British Embassy in Madrid and Consulate General in Barcelona are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking further information following reports of an incident in central Barcelona. Local authorities have advised people to stay inside and stay away from the Las Ramblas area of the city."

A video shared on Twitter shows armed police walking down a street off Las Ramblas:

Police say as many as 20 people have been injured in the attack.

A video shared on Facebook shows many people lying injured on the ground:

Two armed men are reportedly holed up in Luna d'Istanbul, a restaurant on Nou de La Rambla.

Police are negotiating with them.

A tax driver who witnessed the crash told local media: "The van took a lot of speed and went down weaving, running over everything in front of it."

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy tweeted: "In contact with all administrations. Priority: tend to the injured in Las Ramblas and facilitate the work of security forces."

Spanish newspaper el Pais quoted unnamed police sources as saying that the perpetrators of the crash are in a bar on Carrer dels Tallers, a main road near the university.

Two gunmen entered Turkish restaurant Luna de Istanbul on Carrer de la Nou by Las Ramblas, according to Spanish media.

Steven Turner, who works in the area, told the BBC: "People in my office saw a van ramming into people on Las Ramblas. I saw about three or four people lying on the ground."

"There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now," he added.