Terror has yet again returned to the streets of Europe, in Barcelona and Cambrils in the Catalonia region of Spain and, possibly, in the town of Turku in Finland. All three incidents were against what have become known as “soft targets” – that is, targets which are easy to attack with minimal planning and with less chance of being detected before the attack. These targets are usually areas where the public gather in large numbers – shopping malls, theatres, stadiums, arenas or, in the case of the three attacks today and yesterday, simply on the street. The increased awareness of the threat of terrorism and the subsequent increase in anti-terror measures and surveillance across Europe has often foiled plots that are more sophisticated or were being prepared by people from outside the country to be attacked. As a result, Islamic State for instance, now openly encourage its supporters and sympathisers living in European countries to carry out homegrown attacks by whatever means possible. We are now seeing the consequence of this with a spate of attacks using vans and other vehicles and knifes rather than explosives and guns.
Such attacks are next to impossible to detect beforehand, especially if they are carried out by a single person. If they aren’t talking about their plans with others, or buying suspicious bomb-making materials, they are unlikely to come to the attention of security services who monitor for just such activity. Many of the recent attacks in Europe (see the end of this post) are now following this new approach of below the radar low-tech attacks. The attack in Finland today, which I’ll discuss later in the post, is a classic example. A single man with a knife attacked several people on a street in Turku, Finland. He managed to kill two and would several people before being shot, wounded and arrested by police. There is little defence against such attacks before they happen. The attacks in Spain were both vehicle attacks and, according to latest reports, seem to have been originally intended to have included explosives but everything didn’t go to plan for the terrorists. Sadly, however, the attacks they did launch have claimed the lives of at least 14 people and have wounded over a hundred more.
Although at the time it was not known to be the beginning of the attacks in Spain, the chain of events began on Wednesday evening in a small town called Alcanar, south of Barcelona. One person died in an explosion of gas canisters in a private house in the town (above). Seven other people were injured in the explosion and it led police to believe that the Barcelona and Cambrils attacks which were to follow were the compromise following the loss of the propane and butane canisters in the explosion. The Catalonia police’s Lluis Trapero commented: “They were preparing one or several attacks in Barcelona and an explosion in Alcanar stopped this as they no longer had the material they needed to commit attacks of an even bigger scope.” Had those canisters not exploded it seems unlikely the authorities would have uncovered whatever attack they were planning and such an attack would have been potentially even more devastating than that ones that did follow.
The following day, on Thursday afternoon at around 4:50 local time (2:50 GMT), a two-ton white van careered at high speed and deliberately along the boulevard Las Ramblas – a favourite tourist spot in the heart of Barcelona. The road runs for 1.2km and the van was said to have travelled along perhaps nearly half of that distance crashing into unsuspecting pedestrians, killing 13 and wounding over 100 before he came to a halt and fled the scene. This triggered a massive manhunt for the driver. He was later identified as 17-year-old Moussa Oukabir (right). He was said to have used documents belonging to his brother Driss Oukabir (28) to rent the van used in the attack. One eyewitness, named Angel, described him as “a young man, 25 years old, chestnut brown hair and skinny.” Driss Oukabir was quickly arrested by police in Ripoll, Catalonia, but he denies all knowledge of the attack and says his brother stole his documents.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT (Liam Searle, 22): “The van was right next to me just hitting people. No one knew if it was a van, or a bomb or men with guns. Everyone was hiding behind things and no one had a clue what was going on. We just heard a load of bangs and then everyone ran. I was skating in the road and had my headphones in when I heard massive bangs and thuds. I looked to my side and the van had stopped right next to me.”
Around eight hours later another attack, this time using an Audi A3 car, took place in the resort town Cambrils, which is 110km (68m) south-west of Barcelona. The car ploughed into pedestrians, injuring seven people, two of whom have since died in hospital. A policeman was among the injured. The vehicle overturned and came to a crashing halt. Five people were in the car, some of whom were reported to be wearing what looked like suicide vests. They turned out to be fake, but no-one was to know this at the time. Police at the scene shot all five – four died at the scene and one later in hospital. On Friday evening, Police confirmed that one of the dead following this incident was Moussa Oukabir, the driver in the Las Ramblas attack. Police are saying that the attackers in Cambrils were armed with knifes and axes, which suggests that their intent was to use them as well as the vehicle as a weapon. This reflects similar attacks in Europe, such as the London Bridge/Borough Market attacks in London earlier this year.
Questions are being asked as to why police on the scene of the first attack in Barcelona didn’t shoot Oukabir. The Associated Press have quoted Catalonia’s interior minister, Joaquim Forn, as saying: “We had local police on the scene, but we were unable to shoot him, as the Ramblas were packed with people.” Las Ramblas was indeed packed with people. This time of the year is the peak tourist season in Spain and hundreds of thousands visit Las Ramblas which is one of the most popular and iconic streets for tourists from around the world coming to Europe. This is shown in the fact that over 20 nationalities were among the injured in Barcelona, with dozens from France and Germany alone.
In between the two attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils there was an incident at a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Barcelona when a car was driven at police on Thursday evening. The car was later found with the driver dead inside. The police say they were not responsible for his death. They have so far ruled out a connection to the attacks but investigations are ongoing. Also on Thursday a second van was found abandoned. It was thought to have been a getaway vehicle for the Barcelona attacks. It was found in Vic, 80km north of Barcelona. As well as Driss Oukabir, two other men have been arrested in connection with the investigations now taking place. No details have been given other than that one is from Morocco and one is from Spain and that they were arrested in Alcanar and Ripoll, which is where Driss Oukabir was also detained. Police are still searching for suspects in Ripoll (above). A fourth person was confirmed to be under arrest by Friday evening.
Police, after the attacks, said they were looking for three other suspects, along with Moussa Oukabir. By Friday evening it was clear that Moussa Oukabir was dead as were Said Aallaa and Mohamed Hychami – all three were among those killed at Cambrils. This means they are now looking for Younes Abouyaaqoub (above right). They are are believed to be Moroccan nationals living in the town in Ripoll, and are aged between 18 and 24.
Islamic State, through their propaganda outlet Amaq have claimed responsibility for the attack in Barcelona: “The executors of the Barcelona attack were soldiers of the Islamic State.” They said that the attacks were in response to the US-led coalition battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Islamic State admitted that the loss of Mosul in Iraq last month to the US-led coalition was a “decisive blow” but they still control a large “caliphate” across large parts of Iraq and Syria. As always, such claims of responsibility should be viewed with suspicion. Islamic State frequently claim responsibility for attacks that they were not directly involved in.
SOME MORE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS TO THE ATTACK ON LAS RAMBLAS
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(Chris Pawley): “There were police everywhere and ambulances, the shops started putting the shutters down.”
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(Brendon Sissing): “People were screaming and being knocked down. It knocked a whole bunch of people down and just kept on going. [The driver] stopped and then carried on, people were on the floor and under the van.”
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(Isaac): “We saw the van running people over at 80kmh (50mph). It was as if it was driving through a corn field.”
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(Susan Maclean): “All of a sudden, there was this screaming and hordes of people, fear etched in their faces, were running towards us, many yelling in Spanish. We had no idea what was going on. My first thought was this is a terrorist attack.”
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(Steve Garrett): “A large number of people ran into the market area. There was lots of screaming, lots of shouting. The security guards immediately responded. We ran into the bakery with four or five other people and ran straight upstairs whilst a wave of people went through the market. Obviously coming from England it reminded me a great deal of what happened in London, so we were very concerned about what might be going on. The lady that was with us said she heard gunshots. They [armed police] seemed to sweep through the market as if they were looking for someone. They were going very carefully, very cautiously, stall to stall.”
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(Liam Searle, 22): “That’s when two men got out so I ran for my life. The doors [of the Opera House where he had taken refuge] were made of glass so we could see everything. I saw police officers and paramedics tending to a six or seven year old girl. She was screaming. I couldn’t look anymore so I moved away. Then the injured came into the opera house for water and shelter. To see the things with the kids and stuff I don’t know what to say. It’s just shock.”
HOW THE WORLD REACTED TO THE NEWS OF THE ATTACKS
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The Spanish royal family led the response from around the world to the attacks in Spain. In an unusually strong-worded statement, the royal family said: “They are assassins, criminals who won’t terrorise us. All of Spain is Barcelona.” The Spanish Prime Minister shared the condemnation of the attacks. Mariano Rajoy called them “jihadist terrorism” and added: “Today the fight against terrorism is the principal priority for free and open societies like ours. It is a global threat and the response has to be global.” He said further that Spaniards “are not just united in mourning, but especially in the firm determination to beat those who want to rob us of our values and our way of life.”
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Barcelona’s football team FC Barcelona Tweeted: “Deeply saddened by the attack on our city. All our thoughts are with the victims, their families and with the people of Barcelona,” while the team’s player Lionel Messi that people must reject “any act of violence,” adding: “There are many more of us who want to live in a world in peace, without hate and where respect and tolerance are the basis of coexistence.”
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British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said that she was “sickened by the senseless loss of life in Barcelona,” which she said was a “terrible” assault. She added: “My thoughts are with the victim’s of today’s terrible attack in Barcelona and the emergency services responding to the ongoing incident. The UK stands with Spain against terror.” Mrs May also issued a written press statement, in which she said: “I am sickened by the senseless loss of life in Barcelona today. The Foreign Office is working to establish if any British nationals were involved in this appalling incident and we are in close contact with the authorities in Spain, who have our full support. Following the attacks in Manchester and London, Spain stood alongside the British people. Tonight, Britain stands with Spain against the evil of terrorism.” The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said that the attacks were “barbaric” and added: “London stands with Barcelona against the evil of terrorism.”
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US President Donald Trump Tweeted: “The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you!” He later remarked: “Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!” The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: “Terrorists around the world should know – the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice.” Rex Tillerson added: “Terrorists around the world should know – the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice.”
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The German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the German people were thinking of the victims with “profound silence,” and described the attacks as “revolting.”
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The Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote a telegram to the Spanish King Felipe Vi, in which he called for the world to unite in an “uncompromising battle against the forces of terror. We decisively condemn this cruel and cynical crime against civilians.”
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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “I send my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as to Prime Minister Rajoy and the people of Spain. My thoughts are with the people of Barcelona.”
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French President Emmanuel Marcon spoke of “France’s solidarity” with Spaniards following the “tragic attack.” In a Tweet in French he said: “Toutes mes pensées et la solidarité de la France pour les victimes de la tragique attaque à #Barcelone. Nous restons unis et déterminés.” (“All my thoughts and solidarity of France for the victims of the tragic attack in #Barcelona. We remain united and determined.”) The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo added: “Parisians are at your side. Barcelona and Paris are cities that share love and tolerance. Our values are much stronger than this heinous and cowardly act of terrorism”.
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The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutle said the attack in Barcelona was a “cowardly attack against innocent people,” adding it was a “black day at a place where many people around the world gathered.”
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In Turkey, which has suffered several terrorist attacks in recent months and years, the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu strongly condemned the “heinous terrorist attack.”
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At the Vatican a spokesman said: “The Pope prays for the victims of this attack and wishes to express his closeness to all the Spanish people, especially the wounded and families of the victims.”
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In Spain’s neighbour Portugal the Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo said he was “dismayed” by the attack in Barcelona and said he wanted to express his “support and solidarity with the families and friends of the victims”.
This evening people are back on Las Ramblas. Many are gathering to remember the victims of yesterday’s attack and soaking up the sombre and reflective atmosphere. A makeshift memorial has been set up with the usual flowers, soft toys and other objects placed to remember and show their respect by the tourists and people of Barcelona. Writing this evening from Las Ramblas, the BBC’s Patrick Johnson reflected: “Under the watchful eyes of armed police, they streamed around the city centre on foot, strolling up and down the re-opened boulevards of Las Ramblas. By a tree where candles and flowers have been placed, the sound of several women crying can be heard. Elsewhere, a man with a guitar leads others in a rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine.”
Meanwhile, in Cambrils, the Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont paid a visit and told reporters: “I want to convey a message to the people, of calm and confidence. We can all help one another as we fight against terrorism. In this way we will recover normality again. We shall live – united together – in the civilised world which we have chosen.”
Questions will no doubt follow as to why Spanish intelligence failed to detect such attacks. US intelligence had warned Spain two weeks ago that something was brewing. Spain is of course used to terrorism, from both abroad and from ETA, the nationalist and separatist movement in Spain’s Basque country in northern and southwestern Spain. They have carried out terrorist attacks for decades in their bid for independence for the Basque state. ETA stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna (“Basque Fatherland and Liberty”). You can read more about ETA HERE. Spain, and especially Barcelona, is perhaps because of its large Muslim popular and its geographical closeness to the Islamic states in North Africa is seen as centre of Islamic radicalism. Javier Argomaniz, a lecturer on political violence and the Centre for the Study of Political Violence and the University of St Andrews in Scotland, said:
“Barcelona is one of the main areas for radicalisation in Spain. Just this year there have been 14 arrests and 10 police investigations. The main reason is that there is a large Muslim community, something that Barcelona has in common with Madrid which is another radicalisation hotspot. The number of Spanish citizens who have left the country to fight in Syria and elsewhere is 178 – a tenth of the number in France. The majority have come from Ceuta and Melilla – the Spanish areas on the Moroccan coast. Those two cities are next to other parts of Morocco where there are established recruitment networks for IS. A deradicalisation programme was brought in in 2015, but it hasn’t been something that has been the main priority until recently.”
BUILDINGS AROUND THE WORLD PAY TRIBUTE
As is common these days, many buildings and structures around the world pay tribute to the victims of terror attacks by changing their colours, displaying flags of affected nations in lights or, as the Eiffel Tower in Paris did last night, turn off the lights and go dark (above right). New York’s new post-9/11 World Trade Center (above left) displayed the red and yellow Spanish flag in tribute, while the Empire State Building – also in New York – displayed the red, blue and yellow colours of the Catalan flag (below left). The City Hall in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv also displayed the colours of the Spanish flag (below right).
With news from Spain still reverberating around the world, a further attack (although it is yet to be confirmed that it was terror-related) has taken place, this time in northern Europe in the city of Turku in Finland. Like Spain it was aimed at a so-called “soft target” – i.e. pedestrians on the street. In the attack a man attacked several people, stabbing at least eight people. Two people died and at least seven have been injured. The attacker was shot and wounded by police and is now in custody. The attack happened in the Puuton-Market Square and police are uncertain as to whether there may be other attackers or attacks to follow. The attack took place at 16:40 local time (13:40 GMT). A tweet from the local police said: “Several people stabbed in central Turku. People are requested to avoid the city centre.” A later tweet said: “The police are searching for possibly more perpetrators in Turku.”
Later information from police said they were now not looking for other suspects. The interior minister Paula Risikko said that they weren’t sure yet whether it was terror-related. Finland’s top police chief, Seppo Kolehainen said that “nothing is yet known about the motives.” Finland’s terror level threat had been raised in June as it became aware of more serious terrorism threats. Finland is traditionally a peaceful country, but the country must have been mindful of the attack in April in neighbouring Sweden when a man killed four people using a hijacked lorry as a weapon. Back in 2012 Finland’s then Prime Minister Jyrki Katinen escaped injury when a man approached him with a knife. The man was declared to have mental health issues and was not charged.
Finland may not be the most likely target of terrorism in Europe at the moment but it has suffered terrorist attacks. In October 2002 Petri Gerdt, a chemical engineering student, detonated a bomb in the Myyrmanni shopping mall in the Finnish town of Vantaa in the Myyrkami district. Seven people were killed with 166 injured and 66 requiring hospitalisation. The bomber was killed in the explosion. Many of the injured were children who were at the mall to watch a clown performance. Read more about this bombing at Wikipedia. There is also a book on the bombing, written by Armas Gerdt, called Petrin matka Myyrmanniin (“Petri’s Road to Myyrmanni”).
An eyewitness to today’s Turku stabbing, Jesse Brown, told the BBC: “I saw police shoot a person, a man I think. People were running and there was talk about a knife attack, possibly multiple perpetrators.” Another witness, Anttoni Numminen, who had been playing pool in a bar at the time of the attack commented: “The place immediately went on lockdown. We are getting messages from family and friends that there were people with knives.” Laura Laine, another to witness the incident, said: “We heard that a young woman was screaming. We saw a man on the square and a knife glittered. He was waving it in the air. I understood that he had stabbed someone.”
The Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila said the government were monitoring the situation and security has been stepped up across the country at key sites. Armed police, for instance, have been seen at the central train station and airport in the country’s capital Helsinki. Reports suggest the police are armed and were inspecting departing trains and buses and carrying out patrols and surveillance. A helicopter is also said to have been monitoring the harbour in the capital, which is 85 miles east of Turku.
As we are all well aware, Islamic terrorism and homegrown terrorism inspired by funadamentalist Islam has become common place around the world with many attacks taking place in Europe. The list below shows the extent of the terror on the streets of Europe in just the last two years. This list does not include attacks which have either not resulted in deaths or injury or have only resulted in injuries. You can view the full list – and there are many more – by clicking the source link given below.
ISLAMIST OR ISLAMIST-INSPIRED TERROR ATTACKS IN EUROPE 2016-2017 IN WHICH THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES
This list does not include the attacks today and yesterday in Finland and Spain.
Source: Wikipedia
DATE: 12 January 2016
PLACE: Istanbul, Turkey
A suicide bomber blew himself up near Hippodrome of Constantinople near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, killing 13 people and wounding another 9, most of whom were foreign tourist. No group claimed responsibility, but Turkish authorities suspected ISIL.
DEATHS: 13 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 9
DATE: 19 March 2016
PLACE: Istanbul, Turkey
On 19 March 2016, a suicide bombing took place in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district in front of the district governor’s office. The attack occurred at 10:55 (EET) at the intersection of Balo Street with Istiklal Avenue, a central shopping street.
DEATHS: 4 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 36
DATE: 22 March 2016
PLACE: Brussels and Zaventem, Belgium
There were three coordinated suicide bombings in Brussels: two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek metro station. In these attacks, 32 people and the three bombers were killed, and 340 people were injured.
DEATHS: 32 (+3 attackers)
INJURIES: 34
DATE: 13 June 2016
PLACE: Magnanville, France
A man shouting “Islamist slogans” stabbed and killed his neighbor, a 42-year-old police officer, before taking the officer’s wife and son hostage. Police raided the house and killed the attacker and found the officer’s wife dead but his son alive. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.
DEATHS: 2 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 0
DATE: 28 June 2016
PLACE: Instnbul, Turkey
A terrorist attack, consisting of shootings and suicide bombings, occurred on 28 June 2016 at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and explosive belts staged a simultaneous attack at the international terminal of Terminal 2. Forty-five people were killed,[51] in addition to the three attackers, and more than 230 people were injured.
DEATHS: 45 (+3 attacker)
INJURIES: 230
DATE: 14 July 2016
PLACE: Nice, France
A cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, resulting in the death of 86 people and injuring 458. The driver was shot dead by police. ISIL claimed the responsibility for the attack.
DEATHS: 86 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 458
DATE: 26 July 2016
PLACE: Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France
Two assailants took hostages at a church, killing a priest and seriously wounding another man. The attackers were killed by French Special Forces. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
DEATHS: 1 (+2 attackers)
INJURIES: 3
DATE: 17 August 2016
PLACE: Moscow, Russia
Two men with firearms and axes attacked the police station on the Shchelkovo Highway near Moscow. Two traffic police officers were seriously wounded, one fatally.[62] The attackers, natives of the Chechen Republic, were killed by police during the attack. ISIL claimed responsibility.
DEATHS: 1 (+2 attackers)
INJURIES: 1
DATE: 19 December 2016
PLACE: Berlin, Germany
Twelve people died and 56 others were injured after a truck was driven into a Christmas market in Berlin. Days later, having fled to Italy, the attacker shot an Italian police officer doing a routine check, before being killed by police. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
DEATHS: 12
INJURIES: 56
DATE: 1 January 2017
PLACE: Istanbul, Turkey
A mass shooting occurred at a nightclub in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, Turkey, on 1 January 2017. The attack occurred at about 01:15 FET (UTC+3) at the Reina nightclub in Ortaköy, where hundreds of people were celebrating the New Year. At least 39 people were killed and at least 70 were injured in the incident. The gunman, Abdulkadir Masharipov, was arrested in the city on 17 January 2017, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed credit for his actions.
DEATHS: 39
INJURIES: 70
DATE: 22 March 2017
PLACE: London, United Kingdom
52-year old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, injuring 49 people five of them fatally. He then crashed his car into the fence of the Palace of Westminster and fatally stabbed an unarmed policeman before being shot dead by other officers.
DEATHS: 5 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 49
DATE: 3 April 2017
PLACE: St Petersburg, Russia
A suicide bomber blew himself up on the St Petersburg Metro, on the day Vladimir Putin was due to visit the city. Sixteen people[72] were killed, including the bomber, and 87 others were injured. Imam Shamil Battalion, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility, but according to the FSB, attacker acted on the orders of a field commander from ISIL.
DEATHS: 15 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 87
DATE: 7 April 2017
PLACE: Stockholm, Sweden
A hijacked truck was driven into pedestrians along a shopping street before crashing into a department store. Five people were killed and 14 others wounded. Police said the suspect had shown sympathies for extremist organizations including ISIL.
DEATHS: 5
INJURIES: 14
DATE: 20 April 2017
PLACE: Paris, France
Three police officers and a bystander were shot by an attacker wielding an AK-47 rifle on the Champs-Élysées, a shopping boulevard in Paris. The attacker was shot dead during the incident. He had a note defending the Islamic State, and had previously attempted to communicate with Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
DEATHS: 1 (+ 1 attacker)
INJURIES: 3
DATE: 22 May 2017
PLACE: Manchester, United Kingdom
A suicide bombing was carried out at Manchester Arena after a concert by American singer Ariana Grande, killing 22 civilians.
DEATHS: 22 (+1 attacker)
INJURIES: 120
DATE: 3 June 2017
PLACE: London, United Kingdom
A van ran over multiple pedestrians on the London Bridge. The men then drove to Borough Market, where they stabbed multiple people before being shot by police.
DEATHS: 8 (+3 attackers
INJURIES: 48
DATE: 28 July 2017
PLACE: Hamburg, Germany
An Islamist stabbed seven people, one of them fatally, in a supermarket in Hamburg while shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
DEATHS: 1
INJURIES: 6
Que la pau sigui amb totes les famílies i víctimes dels atacs a Espanya i Finald.
Rauhan voi olla kaikkien Espanjan ja Finaldin iskujen perheiden ja uhrien kanssa.
Sources & Further Reading:
- Timeline of the Spanish attacks | The Guardian
- Related articles on The Guardian (Spanish attacks)
- Related articles in The Independent (Spanish attacks)
- Related articles in the New York Post (Spanish attacks)
- Finland stabbings: Police shoot suspect after knife attack leaves two dead and eight injured (Finland) | The Independent
STEPHEN NULTY 