Police Pursue Perpetrator of Deadly Barcelona Attack; 'Five Terrorist Suspects Killed'

In an attack by a van on pedestrians in Barcelona on Thursday, 13 people were killed and 100 injured. Police say the driver of the van has fled, and the search for his capture continues. Spanish police officials also reported early Friday the killing of five suspects wearing suicide vests during a security operation in the town of Cambrils. These individuals are said to be linked to the Thursday attack in Barcelona. According to the Associated Press, a local government official stated early Friday that the attack in Cambrils was similar to the deadly attack in Barcelona. This official did not provide further details regarding the connection between the two attacks. Reports indicate that six citizens and one police officer were also injured in Cambrils, but police have not yet commented on how these six were injured. Spanish media report that the five suspects intended to attack people in Cambrils a few hours after the Barcelona attack. According to local media reports, their vehicle crashed into a police car in Cambrils, after which police opened fire on the individuals in the vehicle. Some reports citing police indicate that these individuals had vests or suicide belts. According to Reuters, Spanish police officials say the suspects in the 'terrorist' operation in Cambrils were linked to the attack in Barcelona. Meanwhile, Spanish police say the driver of the van that attacked people in central Barcelona on Thursday is still at large. Giuseppe Luis Trapero, the head of the Catalonia police, stated on Thursday that two suspects involved in the terrorist attack in Barcelona have been arrested. These two are Spanish and Moroccan, but neither is the van driver. This police official added that a white van attacked people and pedestrians in the Rambla neighborhood of Barcelona at 4:50 PM local time. He noted that at the time of this deadly attack, the street was crowded with pedestrians. The head of the Catalonia police also emphasized that one of those arrested was born in the Melilla region, which is part of Spain but located north of Morocco. Giuseppe Luis Trapero stated that an explosion that occurred on Wednesday in a house in Alcanar is likely related to the deadly attack in Barcelona. Alcanar is located south of Barcelona. The head of the Catalonia police added that one person was killed in this explosion. Police suspect that individuals present in the house were preparing explosives and suicide belts. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in Barcelona shortly after Spanish police announced the identity of one of the suspects in the 'terrorist attack.' According to Reuters, the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency stated that the perpetrators of the Barcelona attack were soldiers of the Islamic State who carried out this operation in response to attacks by the international coalition. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Spain has traveled to Barcelona and emphasized the need to expedite efforts to capture the perpetrators of this attack. According to Reuters, the attack on Thursday in Barcelona is the deadliest attack in Spain since the 2004 Madrid incident, in which Islamist militants killed 191 people and injured over 1,800 by bombing three Madrid subway stations. In this context, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Barcelona. Global condemnation of the Barcelona attack; the U.S. offers to assist Spain in investigations.