(MENAFN- NewsBytes)
Barcelona attackers planned on striking monuments, reveals suspect
23 Aug 2017
Providing evidence before a Madrid court, Mohammed Houli Chemlal, one of the surviving Barcelona attackers, revealed that their cell had planned on striking monuments including Barcelona's famous Sagrada Familia church.
He further revealed that the attack which had been in planning for two months, had to be scaled back after the Alcanar explosions.
Let's know all about how the Barcelona attack and investigation unfolded!
Series of attacks around Barcelona
Background
Wednesday: An explosion occurred in a house which was used to stock gas cylinders in Alcanar, 200-km away from Barcelona.
Thursday: A van drove into the crowd at Barcelona's La Ramblas area, killing 13 and injuring many others.
Soon after, a van charged at police officers at Las Ramblas in the outskirts of Barcelona.
Friday: A vehicle attack in Cambrils, South Barcelona killing one woman.
Who are the suspects?
Suspects
The Catalan police discovered that a 12-member terrorist cell, possibly inspired by Islamic State was behind the attacks.
Five suspects including teenagers, Moussa Oukabir and Said Aallaa and the main suspect Younes Abouyaaqoub have been shot dead by the police.
While Moussa's brother, Sahaal el-Karib directly approached the police saying his identity was stolen, four suspects including Sahal el-Karib, Mohammed Aallaa were also arrested.
Four surviving suspects appear in court
Fact
Houli Chemlal and Driss Oukabir have been charged with murder and membership in a terrorist organization. While Mohammed Aallaa has been granted bail, Salah al-Karib is being kept under detention pending investigation.
What are the latest leads in the investigation?
Conclusion
The attackers stocked over 120 gas cylinders to be used in a larger attack, but scaled back after the Alcanar explosion.
Suspects testified that the perpetrators were radicalized by Moroccan Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty, who died in the Alcanar explosion, operating out of Ripoll, near Barcelona.
Police have also been conducting raids at Vilafranca in South-west Barcelona and at an Internet cafe in Ripoll.
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