- Title: Catalonia attacks had been planned "for some time" - police
- Date: 18th August 2017
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REGIONAL POLICE CHIEF JOSEP LLUIS TRAPERO SAYING: "We are now sure three of them have been identified and we associate them directly with those previous acts related to the explosion in the flat in Alcanar and the rental of the vehicles in Pla de Mahieu, Ripoll and the vehicle in Barcelona. WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REGIONAL POLICE CHIEF JOSEP LLUIS TRAPERO SAYING: "It was in that sense a proverbial accident that upon happening prevented more damage than great amount they already did. It could have been greater, they were looking for another type of attack with more victims." TRAPERO AT NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 1st September 2017 16:28
- Keywords: attack Spain Barcelona
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0026UOQS07
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Two deadly attacks in Catalonia on Thursday (August 17) and in the early hours of Friday (August 18) had been planned for some time by people operating out of the town of Alcanar, police said.
Alcanar was the site of an explosion in a house shortly before midnight on Wednesday (August 16), in an incident which police are now linking to the attacks.
In a news conference in Barcelona on Friday, the regional police Chief Josep Lluis Trapero, said three of the people arrested so far over the attacks are Moroccans and a fourth person in custody is a Spaniard.
He added none had a history of terror-related activities and they were aged between 21 and 34.
Police said they had still not identified the driver of a van who mowed down pedestrians in central Barcelona and then fled the scene on foot.
It was possible that this man was among five suspects shot dead in the resort town of Cambrils early on Friday, but nothing was yet certain, the police chief said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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