Police in Spain say at least 13 people are dead in an apparent vehicle attack in Barcelona.
The incident occurred around 5pm Barcelona time on Thursday, or 11am Eastern time. Police say a white Fiat drove onto the sidewalk on the popular Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall in the heart of the city, and plowed into a crowd, mowing people over and sending others running for their lives.
Officials say in addition to the 13 dead, at least 80 people have been injured. At least one person has been arrested in connection with the attack, which is being treated as an act of terrorism. The BBC reports that another person may have been taken into custody.
The vehicle used was rented to a man named Driss Oubakir, according to the BBC. Police have not disclosed if this was the actual driver.
According to the BBC, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the van attack, however, the group gave no evidence or details to backup the claim. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the Barcelona incident a "jihadist attack".
Las Ramblas is a very popular attraction with locals and tourists alike. The street, which runs for over a kilometre, is lined with vendor stalls, shops, restaurants, nightclubs and hotels.
Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous Spanish region of Catalonia, and was the host of the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Early Friday morning, Spanish police and news media reported a similar situation in the Catalan town of Cambrils, not far from Barcelona. The BBC reports that another van tried a similar attack and actually injured several people, but four attackers were soon killed by police. A fifth attacker died soon after.
The BBC says one of those injured in the Cambrils van attack was a police officer.
One additional person had been killed in a house explosion in the Catalan town of Alcanar Wednesday night, and police say all three incidents are connected.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is "deeply saddened" by the events and that Canada offers condolences to the loved ones of those killed. U.S. President Donald Trump also condemned the attack, saying the United States would do what was necessary to help the Spanish people.
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