12 Dead, 80 Injured in Barcelona After Man Drives Van into Crowd in Terror Attack
Once again, the world is confronted with another instance of vehicular-based terrorism.
Terrorism through vehicular attacks have become all too common in 2017. Although reports and facts are still being pieced together, an apparent van-based terror attack in Barcelona, Spain has resulted in a dozen fatalities and approximately 80 injuries, according to media reports and government accounts. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to The Washington Post.
According to ABC, one witness to the incident—which authorities said they are indeed treating as a terrorist attack—said the van's driver ran down bystanders for roughly a thousand feet.
The attack has put the U.S. on high alert; U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has already addressed that the U.S. and its allies condem the attack, and pledge to find the individuals responsible.
Below you will find a clip of the horrific incident, but we encourage you to watch with caution.
As these incidents continue, it will be interesting to see what further security measures are put in place to prevent further occurrences. In the U.S. we have begun to see large dump trucks filled with sand and other heavy vehicles blocking access around street fairs and other high-population events.
From London to Berlin to Nice to Charlottesville and now Barcelona, using vehicles as a deadly weapon has turned into common practice for terrorists. Tragically, it is difficult for authorities to prevent situations like these before they happen, as vehicles are easy to come by and easy to camouflage amongst traffic until too late. As we have noticed throughout the recent attacks, market places, populated sidewalks, and general places of high traffic have proven popular targets of choice for terrorists.
