Barcelona terror attacks: What we know so far

A timeline of events

Wednesday, Alcanar

• An explosion at a house in the small town of Alcanar, 200km south of Barcelona kills one person and injures 16.
• After the attack in Barcelona senior police official Josep Lluis Trapero said the blast was related to the van attack in the city, and that those in the house were attempting to ‘prepare an explosive device’.

Thursday, Barcelona 

• 13 people are killed and about 100 injured after a white a van mounted the pavement and ploughed into crowds down the pedestrian boulevard of Las Ramblas in Barcelona at around 4.30pm.
• The driver of the van fled the scene on foot and a manhunt is underway as the driver is on the run.
• A second van is found by police in the town of Vic, 80km north of Barcelona at around 6.30pm. Presumed to be a getaway vehicle police say the second van was hired at the same time as the van used in the Barcelona attack.
• Around an hour later at 7.30pm a man is killed as a car is driven into officers at a police roadblock in the town of Sant Just Desvern on the outskirts of Barcelona. Initial reports said he died from police gunfire after running over two police officer and at the time officials ruled out any connection to the Las Ramblas attack. However, this morning, the Catalan interior minister Joaquim Forn contradicted earlier reports and said the man was a passenger in the car and died of knife wounds not inflicted by police and that a hunt for the driver of the vehicle was underway. He said a connection to the other attacks could no longer be ruled out.
• Suspect Driss Oukabir is arrested at around 8pm police confirmed. The Morroccan-born Spanish resident in his 20s had been identified by documents at the scene although he says he played no part in the attack and claims his passport and ID were stolen according to La Vanguardia. He reportedly told police he came forward after he saw his name an image being shown by the media.
• So called Islamic State claim responsibility for the Barcelona attack at around an hour later at 9pm.

Friday, Cambrils

• At around 1am six civilians and a police officer were hurt when suspected terrorists drove an Audi A3 into them in the seaside town of Cambrils, 68 miles south-west of Barcelona, one is said to be in a critical condition.
• Police kill four attackers, and injure one, as they fled their vehicle which had over-turned during the attack. The fifth attacker later died. They were reportedly wearing explosive belts and the bomb squad carried out several controlled explosions the police said. The belts have since been reported as fakes.
• The Catalan government says the two attacks are linked.
• Police confirm three people have been arrested in connection with the attack in Barcelona.