Barcelona Terror Attack: Donald Trump Condemns Deadly Attack In Spain, Offers Help

UPDATE: 5:00 a.m. EDT — Police said they have arrested a third suspect in connection to the terror attack in Barcelona that killed at least 13 people and left over 100 injured after a car rammed into pedestrians on the Las Ramblas street.

The third man was said to be arrested in the town of Ripoll on Friday, CNN reported.

Original story:

President Donald Trump condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Barcelona on Thursday which left at least 13 people dead and over 100 injured after a van rammed into pedestrians on one of the city’s most popular streets in Las Ramblas.

Trump tweeted on Thursday saying: "The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you!"

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the terror attack in Barcelona, "revolting," according to her spokesman, CNN reported.

As a tribute to the victims, the Eiffel Tower dimmed its lights Thursday night.

The attack was among the deadliest ones Spain has witnessed in more than a decade. It was the worst attack in Spain since the 2004 Madrid bombings which killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800. "It was clearly a terror attack, intended to kill as many people as possible," Josep Lluis Trapero, a senior police official said, according to the Telegraph.

Here’s what we know so far:

A white Fiat van rammed into pedestrians outside enjoying a late afternoon stroll on Las Ramblas in Barcelona around 5 p.m. local time (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday. The vehicle used for the attack was reportedly rented.

The van veered down the busy walkway in central Barcelona for 500 meters, swerving back and forth as it hit pedestrians who desperately tried to escape. Some pedestrians took shelter in nearby shops as they watched the horrific chaos unfold in front of their eyes. Eye witnesses described the scene as chaotic with dead bodies lying around, injured victims covered in blood, and people screaming and running everywhere.

The driver of the vehicle is still said to be on the run, according to Catalan police.

Ali Shirzainia, a passerby told CNN he saw the vehicle drive past him. "I saw people flying into the air and everyone was running into the shops on either side," he said.

"I saw a lot of ambulances, I saw a lot of emergency vehicles almost immediately," he said.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy described the attack as "jihadi terrorism" during a news conference late Thursday evening.

Soon after the incident, two suspects were arrested, including Driss Oukabir who was initially suspected of being the driver. However, the police later confirmed that the two of them were not behind wheel, however, they remain in custody.

The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq propaganda arm and said the attack was carried out by its "soldiers."

"The executors of the Barcelona attack were soldiers of the Islamic State," Amaq said on its Telegram Messenger account without revealing the names of those behind the attack, according to the Telegraph.

Hours before the attack, one person was said to have been killed in an explosion in a house about 100 kilometers south-west of Barcelona in Alcanar. The police said the deceased person had a link to the terrorist attack in Barcelona, according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, another terrorist incident took place in Cambrils, a town in Spain. Police confirmed they shot and killed five terrorists in connection with the incident.

A spokesman for the regional government of Catalonia said: "The alleged terrorists were in an Audi A3 and apparently knocked down several people before coming across a police patrol and a shoot-out ensued."

Seven people, including a police officer, was also wounded during the Cambrils attack. However, the officer's injuries were not life-threatening, the Telegraph reported.

Police said some of the attackers at Cambrils were wearing something similar to explosive belts, adding that the officials were "working on the hypothesis that the terrorists shot dead in Cambrils could be linked to what happened in Barcelona."