IS claims responsibility for deadly attack in Barcelona

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for an attack which killed 13 people and injured 100 others in Barcelona on Thursday.

BARCELONA, Spain (Kurdistan 24) – The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for an attack which killed 13 people and injured 100 others in Barcelona on Thursday.

The assault happened at around 5:00 p.m. local time when a van plowed into a crowded shopping area in Las Ramblas, Barcelona.

After the incident, the militant group announced responsibility for the violence through their Amaq news outlet.

“The executors of the Barcelona attack were soldiers of [IS],” the announcement read, without providing any further details about those involved.

According to Amaq, the attack was a response to calls to target countries involved in the US-led coalition fighting the militant group in Iraq and Syria.

The incident in the northeastern Catalan city was Spain’s deadliest attack since 2004 when al-Qaeda-inspired bombers killed 192 people in coordinated attacks in Madrid.

Two people were arrested by Spanish police who described the event as a “terrorist attack.”

Despite Catalonia’s interior minister Joaquim Forn confirming the death toll on Twitter, there are fears the number could rise as some injuries are severe.

It is unclear how many were involved, but witnesses said the driver of the truck fled the scene on foot.

Xavi Perez, a local shop owner, told AFP he “ran out [of his shop] and saw the damage” where he noticed “lots of foreigners.”

“There were bodies on the floor with people crowding around them,” Perez said. “People were crying.”

The attack took place during Barcelona’s tourist season where at least 11 million people visit the city every year.

Meanwhile, senior Kurdistan Region officials expressed their sadness and sent their condolences to the victims of the attack.