chris philips former head of the national counterterrorism security office in the u.k. always good to get your expertise. ok let's keep the live in else going on find out what we know more with our tease emily suit and really what we have been hearing here is a lot of international leaders condemning the attack as to be expected at what has been said. well you know in condemnation of what happened in barcelona today really has been pouring in from all over the world will start with russia the russian president vladimir putin he has come out and said that the terrorist incident in barcelona shows the need for united international efforts to fight terrorism and over in the u.k. the prime minister theresa may she tweeted saying that the u.k. stands with spain against tara and meanwhile her foreign secretary boris johnson also tweeted concerned and saddened by barcelona attack our thoughts are with those affected doing all we can to identify whether brits need help now of course britain

suffered from vehicle attacks by islamist terrorists themselves back in march at westminster and in june on the london bridge and the european commission president called juncker he also tweeted saying this cowardly attack has deliberately target those enjoying life and sharing time with family and friends we will never be cowed by such barbarism meanwhile europol which is the e.u.'s law enforcement agency also came out to condemn this attack and saying that they stand united in the fight against terrorism here in germany the office of chancellor angela merkel also treated about this her spokesman stefan cyber said in a tweet we are thinking with profound sadness of the victims of the revolting attack in barcelona who have solidarity and friendship alongside the spanish people then over a neighboring france the president. also issued a tweet saying all my thoughts and solidarity are friends with the victims of the

tragic attack in barcelona we remain united and determined to really every everybody all of these world leaders are showing a sign of solidarity and also condemnation of this terrifying attack in barcelona and fact the u.s. president donald trump he was one of the first world leaders to issued a tweet about this a statement about this incident in barcelona he says the united states condemns a terror attack in. barcelona and will do whatever is necessary to help be tough and strong we love you his secretary of state secretary of state rex tillerson also echoed a sentiment offering his condolences to those affected by this horrific incident in barcelona and saying as a warning to i'm quoting here terrorists all around the world should know we are resolved to find you and bring you to justice of course all of the monitoring all the reaction coming in from all over the world on this what's happening in barcelona today and bring them to us as i assume as i get them in an r.t.s.

emily soothe a comprehensive update on what's world leaders and others are seeing how they are reacting to the scenes today in barcelona thanks emily. ok maybe you're just joining us well this is her breaking on only news story this hour islamic state house claimed responsibility for the attack in the center of barcelona earlier. he say twelve people were killed eighty injured that number rising by the minute it seems when a van plowed into a crowd of pedestrians two suspects being arrested officers have released a photo of a man who's thought to have rented the vehicle used in the incident he's been named as one drifts. the attack happened in the. tourist area the pictures now you're seeing there a warning the horrific of course we will be showing similar pictures in this following report and through the hour.

i. well someone who was all not street very soon after the attack is not only done by the police at a local journalist in barcelona thanks for being a run and speaking to us what is the latest now happening in the city last night we're speaking we're awaiting a news conference we heard the latest figures twelve people dead eighty injured what else are you hearing there are enough please. ok yes so we're currently hearing that the president of the council of government which demands is giving a speech and just. letting everybody know that you know they're responding

accordingly and they're issuing a silent minute tomorrow at twelve and as you confirm yeah there's been over eighty wounded and so far there are confirmed. victims so yeah but everyone's still a bit on hold trying to hear more about the attackers and you know trying to just hear if there's only one or two of them that have been taken in by the catalan police now but yeah everyone's still really waiting to hear more it seems like the police control is easing a bit we're about one hundred meters from last that i'm last here. barcelona and you can see that the police is sort of just removing the tape here around me so hopefully people are going to be able to get back to their hotels and to their homes that are close to this area yes you got those look to be an updated

it's obviously getting dark where you are there are enough police so the what is being a lot of people perhaps locals after work trying to get home a lot of tourists not being able to maybe access their hotels if it was in las ramblas what have you been seeing people doing have they been waiting in certain areas because we know as you said earlier police were letting them die in certain often used. yes i've spoken to a lot of people just around this plaza here and that is pretty close to where everything happened and you can see a lot of families with small children and everyone sort of like waiting to be able to pass through some of them have hotels on plastic at the lumia and around the area. but they're still waiting for a day out or at least a story of let them proceed to their hotels and really just move on with their vacations and yeah but currently we're not really sure when that's going to happen just who carried on the attack as well. as no i've claimed it did

what occurred today in barcelona perhaps police have been commenting on that have you seen anything on the wires or local radio t.v. except for a. jog not yet we've actually been talking to some police just here and there are dirt still not willing to confirm anything so we're really on hold on that as well but we're hoping to get confirmation quickly within but in this next hour just before we let you go as well as you mentioned police authorities there are holding that emergency meeting i think of these. ongoing is any new information coming to light. not really yes they're sort of just discussing what has happened and i think they are not really wanting to to settle on anything yet but we're following it closely and we'll hopefully have more information just

as tonight proceeds. nicely done by local journalist speaking to us in barcelona as you have been doing for the past number of hours thank you so much for that this well bringing us an update of what is happening on the streets it does look as if people may be. residents in particular thank you not really ok one of the aspects that we know here is the wall of the sauce. pics his photo some information has been released this is it drifts. back here excuse me is believed to have rented the vonne used in the attack local media say he is in his twenty's and was born in morocco police have been giving this out to at t.v. station broadcasters on papers in the preceding hours after the attack. ok let's bring in daniel hawkins one it does seem that a lot of information has come out in the past hour as it tends to happen at the

initial hours afterwards not a lot comes i because of investigations and police maybe don't want to say much getting information that suspect as well has no being named. from the way that we're hearing about isel supporters celebrating what has occurred it all points in one direction indeed as you mentioned just a couple of minutes ago the news agency the propaganda a wing if you like has as you say claimed responsibility now as you also likely quite rightly point out they could claim responsibility for anything and everything in fact that's the main aim to make the organization seem. an all new president to inspire fear and terror and that is the job but nevertheless this information does change everything prior to this new mode to go of the identity of the perpetrators was just speculation this will give investigators a train of thought

a train of investigation and line of investigation which they can. just go on to the history of terror in spain it's very different to that of for example neighboring france france has had a history very recently in particular of islamist terror we've seen attacks in paris in east the bus a planned attack the attack in particular saw very similar tactics used to this one a large heavy goods vehicle commercial vehicle plowing into a very narrow promenade a crowded full of people the tactics are pretty much identical there just interrupt that was one of the things you pointed out early on in our coverage is that perhaps our forwards are worried that the initial attack could bring people together as we've seen before and then a second at. this is always a worry now isn't that it is you know that tactic is very widely used particularly by terror groups in the middle east for example with an i.e.d.

go off an improvised explosive device or or other bomb rescuers people who just want to have a look will come in for a large crowd a second device will subsequently go off as well no explosions of course use this time but what we do know in terms of the attackers was that one was mutual by the police he was shot dead in the shootout another one was arrested meaning there were at least two attackers now that no longer makes this a lone wolf attack as we saw for example in the westminster bridge incident in london that was back in march this year in which five people were killed including a police officer guarding parliament of course as we all remember this makes the attack was noted very planned attack especially given the presence of a second vehicle get away car absolutely you know we don't know whether that was a getaway car or to carry out a second attack we just don't know at this point but certainly this was not a lone wolf attack but going back to the history of of terror in spain spain may

perhaps strike many experts many kind of terrorism experts as a bit of a surprising target here they have had a history of domestic terrorism from the basque separatist group they were very active in the sixty's seventy's eighty's recently though that's completely disappeared of fact they've had amnesties and truces with security forces had to go over their weapons caches pretty much faded fading into insignificance the last two bombings or terror incidents relating to islamist fundamentalist fundamentalism more than ninety five el disco and so bombing that was claimed by islamic jihad thought to be targeting specifically american soldiers in spain and more recently which people may remember was the madrid. bombing of two thousand and four that killed one hundred ninety two people really infinitely higher figures. in this terror attack that was claimed by al qaida so that was the last international terror attack in spain now that attack came in the backdrop of an election the

general election in spain and prime minister. the incoming prime minister lose a battle he was of the socialist party subsequently withdrew the spanish contingent from the wrong spanish soldiers so it was seen by many at the time that this directly affected spanish foreign policy. since then spain has been involved in the iraq conflict in libya intervention in syria. they very much taken aback like for example the u.k. or france united states etc so in terms of that link that link is very tenuous but of course we do know that the al qaeda has isis rather has promised to strike at the heart of europe in european capitals and cities really regardless care is terror absolutely that's that's absolutely correct so as we say you know the last attack was in two thousand and four that's over a decade ago thirteen years ago so this was very surprising let's just take

a look back at the tactics used those we say a vehicle plowing into these civilians are very very much a soft target the not a lot the police can do but certainly not one that has been a common over the last year or so in europe let's take a look. you know what. i'm not going to move but i was like. ok danny hawkins you know you hear in the shoot down the edge some other aspects coming into us here that maybe i want to

pick your brain on and we were talking earlier that there was another car and that the where two police officers injured after being hit by a vehicle well now police have confirmed that two officers in barcelona where it's unknown whether it was related to an attack it's believed have occurred at seven thirty local time no the initial ramming the killing of the people happened at five o'clock does not give us a sense because we knew that the driver perhaps an accomplice of the van had fled we thought possibly there was a getaway car or some other vehicle involved what the tell us that perhaps they were keeping a low profile and then the sighted while this search is going to why we need to get out of here this is possibly linked to this it could well be units and one of the theories that police at the scene and indeed the secret service investigators will

be looking into for sure it's quite strange how that happened just like not a couple of hours after the initial attack two police officers you know it tells us something that something's happening here indeed as you quite rightly said earlier that fear. second incident a second strike at emergency services gathered at the scene at other civilians who perhaps panicked and grouped in surrounding areas that is something as we said used in the middle east and now used as a copycat tactic will be minus the explosives and weapons using homemade weapons as we've seen here in spain especially given that it took place two hours after and given that one of the attackers was killed in a shoot out fairly quickly as we understand again that's an indication that this was not a lone wolf attack as many of them up claim to be people who have perhaps been mentally unstable with a history of drug abuse or mental conditions this would have required multiple attackers this would have required careful planning meticulous planning and

certainly as we've had the news coming in about claiming that isis is responsible certainly from their side this is inspired which is something we've seen across europe lately ok david hawkins bring this up to date a lot of third or. thoughts on that as well as to why this occurred who carried it out as well tony hawkins i think you. are less nucular merch of each says' not the latest attack shows that simply no country is safe from such it. i think people have to open their eyes up each week practically these past two weeks ago it was true and you asked me to france this week spain and i think no european country and we're talking about europe but there are similar attacks elsewhere in the mcgrath in the middle east and no country can say it's safe from such an attack today so this is widespread unfortunately each month we're discovering that this can happen in a new country in a new place in a new town so this is. none the mayor said he had said we had to get used to this

the french president read all my cross said the same thing and unfortunately babies seem to be right can you imagine the millions of cars who are running in the streets of the world and have special means for any given occasions faced i think it's extremely difficult if they have arrived on this means that no on the scene that means that well organized or this is also the center of the most touristic part of barcelona not it's very difficult how do you fight how do you stop someone chairing is ramming his van and truck a vehicle in the crowd the six crimean difficult but they do have to be prepared i think they have to be prepared to arrive on location as quick as possible of course to stop the criminals are the terrorists as soon as possible if they're so alive and of course to bring to actuate the people to give them medical help to reopen now to hospitals and there will be more and more training within the different police as in europe and military of course to react to such attacks because they

are becoming more than common three attacks in three weeks. ok let's get the latest developments then in our breaking news story just to bring together what is known what is speculated islamic state house claimed responsibility for the attack in the center of a lot of others according to their own news agency cattle on authorities say twelve people were killed eighty injured when a van plowed into a crowd of a dead street as a warning the pictures on the screen are vivid disturbing two suspects have been arrested officers have released the photo of a man whose fault to have rented the vehicle used in the instant he has been named as one drifts of the attack happened in the last run lists tourist area run five in the evening local time very busy time lot of tourists still there at that time people coming home from work because it is a residential place as well and to be warned the images we're about to show are

highly disturbing. well as we mentioned photo of one of the suspects has been released this is it drifts who could be here is believed to have rented the van used in the attack local media say beer is in his twenty's and was born in morocco police have given information the photo releasing that information now the valley which occurred which ram the people reportedly drove five hundred meters done a pedestrian i stretch all of the boulevard which is right in the middle of. police

also saying fifth. six people were taken to hospital media after they hit that. we believe got up to eighty that's cattle authorities telling us that information and people are being advised to avoid the city center stayed inside we know the whole area was unlocked and a lot of tape helicopters in the street but our last local journalist in the area actually said that people were being a large back and it looked as if people would be allowed back in well this is the area in happier times of course a lot of tourists people from all over the world that walking a run in their cafes cathedrals people just having a good time in you know a numerous amounts of museums there i'm sure you are somebody you know has been in that area and one of the aspects of all this is that the city's main square which has its street shows on the screen here is linked to. it's important because

according to reports the violent turn from the square all into the pavement unplowed dahlan the street getting up to speeds of seventy kilometers an hour we believe or we've been talking to a number of people we managed to talk to one eduardo ordo lives right. his video overlooks where the incident occurred this is what he told me. i was here at home my balcony gets through. the noise of cracks and people screaming then i went to the balcony and i so the. go. will be in the floor i saw a lot of blood. and the police started from everywhere and they arrived there the ambulances. for some woman one hour here he was.

there able. well europe is in the early days and. there were many many people here is full of people all day now with this all the year but especially in august so it was a lot of people it was very crowded. just the news lying coming into his house you're looking at pictures of the aftermath of what occurred some up to almost five hours ago in barcelona and police are saying that the bomb squad checking the area in the barcelona skirts near where the driver of the car who struck police officers is another instance we do not know whether was related about two and a half hours after the initial incident occurred police are now saying that the bomb squad is there we're not exactly sure of the area without is occurring but at the steering update on what has been a terrible day so far in barcelona well pedestrians that were on the street when

the attack happened of course run for shelter in nearby shops and cafes just like on this street shop owners being closed their stores and covered windows to protect those inside because we didn't know where the people were fled the scene an eyewitness who is staying in a hotel in the center of barcelona told us what she saw the aftermath of the. second here not that in this street where everything is happening and i was resting at five pm and i'm five pm i decided to go outside the hotel just to see around and then i was just a huge crowd of people coming all around me or running and screaming some people crying and i'm like what's happening what's happening and one girl she was like screaming and crying she's like i don't know we don't no one knows what's happening we're just all going to work this way and then some people came inside and that was like the worry and then you see like all around me like the police and then like you grow there they're all like waiting the police is their own. we're all waiting

i don't know what kind of injuries when. a lot of people on the street it's crazy it's crazy not here i don't see anything here i don't see any of that but it's like like behind us right just behind this street. you have also been speaking to nothing we don't buy a journalist in barcelona she has been following the latest developments in the city streets for us. as you confirmed their spin over eighty wounded and so far they have confirmed. victims so yeah but everyone's still a bit on hold trying to hear more about the attackers and you know trying to just hear if there's only one or two of them that have been taken in by the cattle and police now but yeah everyone's still really waiting to hear more it seems like the police control is easing a bit where about one hundred meters from less that i'm just here.

barcelona and you can see that the police is sort of just removing the tape here around me so hopefully people are going to be able to get back to their hotels and to their homes that are close to this area yes so that does look to be an update it's obviously getting dark where you are there so the what is being a lot of people perhaps locals after work trying to get home a lot of tourists not being able to maybe access their hotels if it was in the last run less what have you been seeing people doing have they been waiting in certain areas because we know as you said earlier police were letting them die uncertain of unused. yes i've spoken to a lot of people just around this plaza here and that is pretty close to where everything happened and you can see a lot of families with small children and everyone's sort of like waiting to be able to pass through some of them have hotels on plastic at the loony and around the area. but they're still waiting for a day out or at least

a story of let them proceed to their hotels and really just move on with their vacations and yeah but currently we're not really sure when that's going to happen just who carried out the attack as well. as no i've claimed it did what occurred today in barcelona perhaps police or. been commenting on that have you seen anything on the wires or the local radio t.v. except for a. jog yeah we've actually been talking to some police just here and there dirk still not willing to confirm anything so we're really on hold on that as well. as is usual when something like this happens there is a lot of international reaction people wanting to send their condolences just really send their best wishes to the people of that city emily sue has been keeping abreast of all what's been said emily.

well you know in condemnation of what happened in barcelona today really has been pouring in from all over the world but i'll start with germany right here i mean germany of course over recent years witnessed a number of terrorist to a terrorist attacks back in december a truck plowed into a christmas market in central berlin and killed over twelve people and the office of angle of merkel responded to this incident in barcelona her spokesman tweeted saying that we are thinking with profound sadness of the victims of the revolting attack in barcelona of solidarity and friendship alongside the spanish people and over in the u.k. of course britain suffered from vehicle attacks by islamist terrorists as well westminster and marchin on the london bridge back in june the u.k. prime minister theresa may she tweeted saying u.k. stands with spain against terror and her foreign secretary. issued

a tweet saying concern and saddened by barcelona attack our thoughts are with those affected doing all we can to identify whether brits need help and over in france which also saw a number of terrorist attacks over recent years and of course one year ago you remember a nice when that truck plowed into that main avenue in the resort town well over eighty six people were killed in this incident well the french president. he tweeted saying all my thoughts and solidarity are friends for the victims of the tragic attack in barcelona we remain united and determined that is where the e.u. as a whole well the european commission president sean claude younker also issued a tweet saying this cowardly attack has deliberately targeted those enjoying life and sharing time with family and friends will never be cowed by such barbarism meanwhile the euro poll which is the law enforcement agency tweeted saying condemning the terrible attack in barcelona our thoughts are with those affected we

stand united in the fight. against terrorism and outside of the e.u. world leaders have been commenting on this attack as well in russia the russian president vladimir putin he said that this terrorist incident in barcelona shows the need for a united international front to fight terrorism the prime minister dmitri medvedev echoed his sentiment saying that terrorism could only be defeated by joint efforts of the international community over in the u.s. president donald trump who was one of the first world leaders to come out and condemn this attack he said the united states condemns a terror attack in barcelona and will do whatever is necessary to help be tough and strong we love you and perhaps i'll wrap up my live by referring to this statement by his secretary of state rex tillerson who offer his condolences and issued a warning to quote terrorists all around the world should know we are resolved to

find you and bring you to justice but of course we action is still coming in from everywhere and i'll be monitoring them bring them to you as soon as i get them. bringing us up to date with what's interesting leaders hope in seeing condolences and paying their respects to. coming up on r.t. america tragedy in barcelona as at least twelve were killed and over fifty endured one of van slams in to pedestrians along a very crowded walkway authorities say it is terror. and solidarity and charlottesville has four thousand people gathered on the return at the university of virginia to pay respects to have their hire. and new updates to her morally graham case will tell you what new york city officials are looking for now.