Were Barcelona terrorists linked to London jihadists?

The terrorist attacks in Spain show several similarities to the horrific acts carried out in London earlier this year.

Yesterday, a van was driven into crowds on Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas street, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100 people from 24 countries. 

Just hours later, an Audi A3 ploughed into crowds in the seaside resort of Cambrils, injuring seven people, before the five suspects wearing fake suicide vests were shot dead by police. 

Aftermath: Police officers attend injured people after a van crashes into pedestrians in Las Ramblas, Barcelona, an attack which echoes of others carried out in the UK earlier this year

The similarities between the atrocities in Spain and Britain this year shows that the London incidents may be linked to, or have inspired, the terrorists in Catalonia.

The terror attack on London Bridge in June this year saw three Islamist extremists drive a rented van across the bridge, mount the pavement and mow down pedestrians.

They then jumped out of the van before stabbing revellers in the busy Borough Market area, which was packed with people enjoying Saturday night in pubs and restaurants.

Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane, and Youssef Zaghba wore fake suicide vests, believed to have been a ploy to deter police from stepping in and neutralising them.

Despite this, all three were killed by police within minutes.

Eight people lost their lives and some 50 people were injured in the attack. 

Copycats: Both the incidents in the UK and Spain targeted pedestrians and used rented vehicles to carry out the terrorist attacks

Copycats: Both the incidents in the UK and Spain targeted pedestrians and used rented vehicles to carry out the terrorist attacks

Weapon: The van used to plough into the crowds, killing at least 13 people and injuring around 100 others is towed away from Las Ramblas in Barcelona

Weapon: The van used to plough into the crowds, killing at least 13 people and injuring around 100 others is towed away from Las Ramblas in Barcelona

Rented van: Similarly to several other terrorist attacks across Europe in the past 13 months, the Las Ramblas attackers used a rented vehicle to mow down pedestrians

Rented van: Similarly to several other terrorist attacks across Europe in the past 13 months, the Las Ramblas attackers used a rented vehicle to mow down pedestrians

Extremists: Just like the attackers on London Bridge in the British capital in June, the Las Ramblas terrorists had tried  and failed to rent a larger vehicle, according to reports

Extremists: Just like the attackers on London Bridge in the British capital in June, the Las Ramblas terrorists had tried  and failed to rent a larger vehicle, according to reports

The London Bridge and Spain attacks have more in common than just the fake suicide vests, both involved rented vehicles, and in both incidents, the suspects had attempted to rent lorries but had been made to opt for smaller vehicles.

London ringleader Khuram Butt, tried to hire a 7.5 tonne lorry on the morning of the attack, but this failed when their payment did not go through.

The group were instead made to go for a white Renault van, similar to the white Fiat used on Las Ramblas on Thursday afternoon.

Similarly, the Barcelona attackers had planned on using a larger van, but could not get the correct permit, according to a counter-terrorism expert interviewed by the New York Times.

‘Part of the plan was they tried to rent a larger truck, but they didn’t have the right permit and so they ended up getting smaller vans,’ he said of the Las Ramblas incident.

More similarities: This shows the debris following the explosion in a house where it is believed that the Spain attackers, like the London Bridge trio, had been making home-made bombs in order to cause further damage 

More similarities: This shows the debris following the explosion in a house where it is believed that the Spain attackers, like the London Bridge trio, had been making home-made bombs in order to cause further damage 

The five terrorists who were killed by police in Cambrils, Spain, after driving a black Audi into revellers, pictured, were wearing fake suicide vests - as were the London Bridge trio

The five terrorists who were killed by police in Cambrils, Spain, after driving a black Audi into revellers, pictured, were wearing fake suicide vests – as were the London Bridge trio

Before the London Bridge attack, Butt, Redouane and Zaghba had loaded the Renault van with more than a dozen petrol bombs which were later discovered by police.

Forensics officers lined up 14 jerry cans like those sold at petrol stations, leading to fears the trio had planned to use makeshift bombs to further increase the death toll. 

It is believed the Barcelona attackers had similar plans, as an explosion in a suspected bomb factory on Wednesday has been linked to last night’s incidents.

One man died in the explosion in Alcanar, 120 miles from Barcelona where a house packed with gas canisters was destroyed.

Pictures show more than 20 butane gas canisters scattered in the rubble and detectives found paperwork suggesting an attack in Barcelona was imminent.

Additionally, the attackers in London Bridge and some suspects named in connection with Barcelona are from Morocco.

Youssef Zaghba was born in Fez, Morocco, to Moroccan and Italian parents. Rachid Redouane was also Moroccan with Libyan heritage, but reportedly considered Morocco his homeland, which is where he was also radicalised, according to his family. 

Spanish police have made three arrests in connection with the Barcelona attacks, at least one is a Moroccan national.

There is currently a manhunt for 18-year-old Moussa Oukabir, known to have Moroccan parentage. 

Previous attack: Armed police stand over one of the terrorists shot at the scene of the attack outside Borough Market in central London on June 3 this year

Previous attack: Armed police stand over one of the terrorists shot at the scene of the attack outside Borough Market in central London on June 3 this year

Lone wolf: Pictured is the aftermath of the Westminster Bridge attack in March, where a British man mowed down pedestrians in central London before stabbing a policeman

Lone wolf: Pictured is the aftermath of the Westminster Bridge attack in March, where a British man mowed down pedestrians in central London before stabbing a policeman

The attack in Cambril at 1am today specifically targeted Friday night revellers, similarly to London Bridge where the attackers ran into one of the busiest entertainment areas of the British capital on a Saturday night. 

A few months earlier, on March 22, 52-year-old Brit Khalid Masood drove a rented Hyundai Tucson over Westminster Bridge, killing four pedestrians and injuring 50, before crashing the car and stabbing a police officer to death.

Both Las Ramblas and the Westminster Bridge are tourist hotspots in their respective cities, and sees constant heavy pedestrian traffic. 

There has been a notable rise in terrorists using vehicles to murder innocent people on busy streets in major European cities in the past year.

On July 14 last year, a 19-tonne truck was driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice in France, killing 86 revellers and injuring hundreds.

On December 19, a dozen people died in Berlin when a 32-tonne lorry smashed through a Christmas market in the German capital, mowing down shoppers over a 150ft stretch.

In April this year, an Islamist extremist drove a stolen beer-lorry through crowds on the busiest shopping street in Stockholm, Sweden, killing five people before crashing into a department store. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk