BARCELONA: The Spanish police have killed a man believed to be Younes Abouyaaqoub, the alleged driver of a van that mowed down crowds in Barcelona last week. A source said, “They have shot dead a suspect who could be the perpetrator of the attack.” Scores of roadblocks were put up across north-east Spain in hopes of capturing the fugitive suspect from the 12-member Islamic extremist cell that staged two vehicle attacks and plotted much deadlier carnage using explosives favoured by Islamic State jihadis.
Younes was found and killed approximately 25 miles west of Barcelona near a sewage treatment works following a tip off. Wearing a fake explosive belt, he reportedly yelled “Allahu Akbar”. Police believe he was the driver of a van that rammed through Las Ramblas avenue, killing 13 and injuring over 100. An extensive manhunt was out underway. It was only when a petrol station employee spotted Younes and called the police, when they found him hiding in vineyards. It took some time to officially identify him as bomb disposal officers used a robot to examine the fake explosive belt.
Police believe the cell members had planned to fill the vans with explosives and create a massive attack in the Catalan capital. Catalan police official Josep Lluis Trapero confirmed that over 100 tanks of butane gas were found at a house in Alcanar, that was being used to make bombs, exploded. “Our thesis is that the group had planned one or more attacks with explosives in the city of Barcelona,” he said. However, the plot foiled when the house blew up. Police confirmed that an imam, suspected of radicalising the young men who carried out the attacks, died in the house.
Of the 12 cell members, eight have been shot dead and four are in custody. Family members of the dead suspects said Imam Es Satty had radicalised several young people in their home town of Ripoll, north of Barcelona. He is said to have spent some time in prison, and met prisoners involved or linked with the 2004 Madrid train bombings in which 191 people died. He also stayed in Belgium for three months last year. An official who works on de-radicalisation in Belgium, said Satty tried to secure a post at a mosque near Brussels, but the seniors decided he should not be allowed to preach due to his “radicalised and polarising” approach.
