ARCHIVED - At least twelve killed and dozens injured in Barcelona terror attack

A white van ploughed into tourists in Las Ramblas just after 5pm

At least twelve people have been killed and more than 20 injured in what is being viewed as a terror incident, in the Ramblas in Barcelona.

The death toll continues to rise as hundreds of people remain holed-up waiting for the suspects to be arrested.

There have been a number of attacks across Europe during the last few months using vehicles as a weapon to target a large number of people in a public area, the London Bridge incident bringing home the real threat to the UK from terrorists.

Spain has remained on a terror alert status since the Tunisian beach attack on tourists, and the security services have been engaged in a vigilant war against the diffusion of terrorist propaganda on Spanish soil, detaining anyone believed to be spreading terror propaganda in Spain via the internet in a high profile crackdown.

This attack has hit the heart of the tourist sector during a month when Madrileneans traditionally leave the capital city and head for the coastal areas of Spain, Cataluña a popular destination for native and foreign holidaymakers, Barcelona busy and bustling during the peak summer holiday season.

Just after 5pm this afternoon a white van was driven at speed into the area known as Las Ramblas, a 1.2km long boulevard, which runs from the Plaça de Catalunya down to the monument of Christopher Columbus by the seafront.

This is one of the most popular tourist areas in the city, lined with stalls, bars and restaurants and is a must- see attraction for anyone visiting the city.

The Ramblas was busy with late afternoon shoppers as visitors emerged from an afternoon siesta to enjoy a cooling drink in one of the many open fronted bars and shop for the evening meal, the van apparently driven by a single man which ploughed into tables, chairs and the public, zig-zagging along the street to cause maximum damage, leaving the streets littered with the dead and injured.

Police attempted to evacuate the streets, using a megaphone to announce that there had been a terrorist attack, urging the public to remain indoors and requesting that the public desist from attempting to photograph and film the dead and injured to post on social media and stayed away from the area until the suspect, who had holed up in a restaurant, had been detained.

Anyone in the area was urged to remain under cover and not attempt to leave the area until further announcements were made.

The second van was found just after 6pm, 70 km away from the city in Vic,

Police have given the following numbers for anyone involved in the incident: 088 police, 061 ambulance and 112 for emergencies.

Metro and train stations near to the rambla have been closed and areas of the city near to the Ramblas cordoned off to prevent the general public from approaching the area.

The Mossos d'Esquadra are looking for two men, one of whom has holed up in the bar Luna de Istambul, a Turkish restaurant in the upper part of Las Ramblas with a firearm.

The vans were both hired by a man with an Arabic name, holding a Spanish passport.

Image: Copyright Efe