Photo: Sky News
Police in Spain have confirmed that the perpetrators of the two terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on Thursday evening, had originally planned to use explosive devices to cause further devastation during the attacks but were thwarted in their attempts.
The latest startling revaluation comes as the now death toll in the horrific attacks has risen to 14, whilst the causality list has risen past 100 with many sustaining serious injuries.
According to reports the terrorists were thwarted in their attempts to wreak further havoc in the Spanish city after a house in Alcanar, south of Barcelona, was destroyed in a blast Wednesday night.
It is believed the attackers planned to carryout a number of explosions in the city and other regions across the country, but instead they were forced to carryout two separate attacks in Barcelona and in the town of Cambrils, were they drove two vans through a heavily crowed area.
Speaking to reporters Catalan police chief Jose Lluis Trapero, said the explosives were found in the Alcanar property and that police “are working on the hypothesis that these attacks were being prepared in that house.”
“The explosion meant the attackers were unable to use material they were planning to deploy in attacks in Barcelona, Cambrils and perhaps elsewhere.””The attack in Barcelona, capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, was therefore ‘more rudimentary than they originally planned’, he added.
Meanwhile the Department of Foreign Affairs have confirmed that of an Irish family holidaying in Barcelona were injured in yesterday’s terror attack.
The Department say a husband and wife, who are originally from the Philippines but naturalised Irish citizens, and their two children who were born in Ireland were injured in the attack.