BARCELONA: Spain’s Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido has confirmed that the terror cell responsible for the attacks in Barcelona has been dismantled and all its members have been arrested.
“The alleged cell responsible for the attacks had been “dismantled” and its all members are arrested,” Independent quoted Zoido as saying.
However, Joaquim Forn, the interior minister for the Catalan government, which crucially commands the Catalan police force leading the investigation, Mossos d’Esquadra, appeared to suggest there were more arrests to be made.
In a separate briefing Forn said, “We can’t say the investigation is finished until we locate or detain all those who we think form part of this terror cell.”
It comes as police continue to search for 22-year-old Moroccan national Younes Abouyaaqoub, who is believed to be the driver of the white van involved in the attack on Thursday afternoon, but was not among those shot dead by security forces later that night.
Around 13 people were killed and 100 injured in terror-related incidents in Cambrils and Barcelona.
Security officials believe the attacks on Barcelona and Cambrils were the work of a terror cell of at least 12 people, who may have been inspired by the London Bridge outrage in June.
The driver is feared to be still at large after plotting the Barcelona terrorist attacks and police and security services were hunting for the remaining members of a Moroccan-born terror cell, amid fears that they could be preparing further attacks at popular tourist areas, Telegraph reported.
Police in Catalonia said they were searching for Younes Abouyaaqoub, living in the Spanish town of Ripoll.