Attack in Spain 13 dead

[muppetts]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40965581

The drivers of the van are holding hostages in a restaurant, 13 dead 20 in hospital.

The new face of terror, why buy a gun or make a bomb when you can steal or rent a car/van/lorry

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At least one person died and 32 were injured - 10 of them seriously - after a van ploughed into crowds in Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas tourist area, police and local officials say.

The vehicle sped along the pedestrian area, mowing down people and sending others fleeing for cover. Police are treating the incident as terrorism.

Later they said a man had been arrested in connection with the attack.

Witnesses said the van had deliberately targeted people before stopping.

Spanish media reports said the driver of the vehicle - a white Fiat that had been rented in the city - fled on foot.

Other unconfirmed reports say the death toll is as high as 13.

Local authorities in the small town of Vic in Catalonia say police have cordoned off the area and are inspecting another van amid suggestions it may have been used as a getaway vehicle.

[Santi]

Was typing as you wrote about it:

Another attack with a vehicle, a van in Barcelona has ploughed throw the touristic street of Las Ramblas into dozens of people. Up to 13 dead and around 30 injured. It has been confirmed as a terrorist attack by the government, so far one person has been detained by the police and apart from the van used in the attack another one has been intercepted.

NSFW, Video in El Pais link contains very strong images of the aftermath of the attack.

El Pais

BBC

*Edit

Number of injured people now stands at 50.

[RegisterMe]

Awful .

[pjknibbs]

Another attempted attack was stopped in Cambrils not long afterward:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40971004

Am I the only one who finds attempts to attack this way kind of pathetic? Sixteen years ago terrorists were flying planes into buildings and killing thousands, nowadays it seems the best they can do is kill a dozen or two at a time. Still horrific, but definitely not in the same league as far as terrifying people is concerned.

[Rive]

Am I the only one who finds attempts to attack this way kind of pathetic?

It is quite dreadful. In the past, such attacks even if they claimed more victims (for one attack), were rare, distant events. Now, even if there are less victims, it is a daily occurrence from the neighbourhood.
The tension these attacks slowly building up is like poison.

[pjknibbs]

Now, even if there are less victims, it is a daily occurrence from the neighbourhood.

I think that's a massive exaggeration? ISIS *wish* they could launch terror attacks every day, but they certainly haven't done up until now.

[JSDD]

AAm I the only one who finds attempts to attack this way kind of pathetic? Sixteen years ago terrorists were flying planes into buildings and killing thousands, nowadays it seems the best they can do is kill a dozen or two at a time. Still horrific, but definitely not in the same league as far as terrifying people is concerned.

it's the easyest way to hurt man people and, to keep the possibility to flee instantly. what would you do if you were a (sorry) idiot and didnt have contanct to "real" terror groups ? without access to a gun or such ...

if i were the spanish PM (or king ...), i wouldnt say "this was a jihadist terror attack", i'd just say som a**holes tried to make themselves impotant, and i'd do that publicly (!), giving them the "title" "jihadist" is kind of a compliment to them

[Dantrithor]

Am I the only one who finds attempts to attack this way kind of pathetic? Sixteen years ago terrorists were flying planes into buildings and killing thousands, nowadays it seems the best they can do is kill a dozen or two at a time. Still horrific, but definitely not in the same league as far as terrifying people is concerned.

Apparently, that wasn't their original purpose. They had a house with explosives, which accidentally detonated on wednesday. Some sources claim they may have been in a rush to commit an attack after that event, maybe in fear of being captured before initiating any action.
Some terrorists wore fake explosive belts, which may have originally been supposed to be real. An attack on Metro or airport would have repeated the casualty tool of some years ago in Madrid's metro.

[RegisterMe]

Without trying to celebrate the death of anybody, the policeman who killed four of the attackers, well, my respect.

[pjknibbs]

Apparently, that wasn't their original purpose. They had a house with explosives, which accidentally detonated on wednesday.

Learning they were incompetent doesn't make me fear them any more...