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Van rams into pedestrians in Barcelona

According to the police, 13 people have been killed, and at least 100 have been injured

© EPA/Quique Garcia

MADRID, August 17. /TASS/. Thirteen people were killed and at least 100 were injured in a terror attack in the las Ramblas area of Barcelona, Catalan police said.

"A terror attack in Barcelona is confirmed," Catalan police wrote on its Twitter account. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported

The incident occurred in the La Rambla area. According to the El Pais daily, the driver has not been detained yet. Several gunshots have been heard near the La Boqueria market in the city center.

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Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wrote on Twitter that he has been in contact with the local authorities and emergencies agencies.

Two people have been arrested after the attack, Reuters reports quoting Catalonia’s regional head, Carles Puigdemont, as saying.

One of the suspected terrorists in the attack has been killed in a shootout with police in Sant Just Desvern municipality in the west of Barcelona, local newspaper La Vanguardia reports.

The name of the killed terrorist suspect has not been identified. According to the newspaper, another attacker is still on the run.

The Catalonia police have detained a man named Driss Oukabir, suspected of renting the van, the Publico newspaper said.

According to Publico, another man has been taken into custody alongside Oukabir. The El Pais daily earlier published a photo of Oukabir on its website, saying he had allegedly been involved in the attack.

According to media reports, the suspect was detained in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, a small town north of Barcelona. The La Vanguardia daily said that the suspect originally came from Marseille, France, but lived in the Catalonian town of Ripoll located near the French border.

5+ Dead and dozens injured in bus ramming terror attack in Barcelona -reports the terrorists are armed + on the run pic.twitter.com/dqf3YSXlsx
— Drew Liquerman (@DrewLiquerman) 17 August 2017

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