13 Dead, More Than 80 Wounded, As ISIS Claims Responsibility For Barcelona Day Of Terror
by Ben Cohen
At least 13 people have been murdered and over 80 wounded in a vehicular-ramming attack along the famous Las Ramblas thoroughfare in the Catalan city of Barcelona on Thursday. Hours after the atrocity, reports emerged of a second attack in the city, as two men opened fire on police manning a checkpoint.
The Sunni Islamist terror organization ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released by the Amaq news agency, but there has been no independent verification of the group’s claim. Catalan President Carles Puigdemon said on Thursday evening that two suspects had been arrested.
Initial photos of the attack showed debris outside the kosher “Maccabi” Restaurant on Las Ramblas. However, a local journalist reached by The Algemeiner on Thursday afternoon said that the restaurant was not the target, an assessment later confirmed by the Barcelona Jewish community. Video footage of the attack indicated that the terrorists plowed their van into a crowd along the sidewalk, causing horrific injuries and fatalities. Las Ramblas is Barcelona’s most famous street, hosting crowds of locals and tourists and
Speaking on a visit to Japan, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned shortly after the attack that “terrorists around the world should be aware that the United States and our allies will find you and bring you to justice.”