Albanians arrested after driving car into Barcelona terminal

Pair shouted Islamist slogans as they were detained during the early morning incident

epa08308624 A Mossos d'Esquadra police officer (R) stands guard next to a vehicle after its two occupants were detained when they drove the car into the Terminal 1 of El Prat airport in Barcelona, Spain, early 20 March 2020. The police tweeted that the incident did not cause any injuries and no explosives were found in the car. Police further informed that the two people shouted islamists slogans and they are now further investigating their motives. EPA/Enric Fontcuberta
Paul Peachey author image
Paul Peachey
Mar 20, 2020
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Two Albanian men were arrested after driving their car into a virtually empty Barcelona airport terminal early on Friday yelling "Islamist-type" slogans.

There were no explosives in the car and nobody was hurt with few people there because of a partial lockdown to fight the coronavirus epidemic.

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Police tweeted a picture of a grey car inside the terminal with its doors open.

“When they were detained, they made an Islamist-type proclamation and we do not know yet what their intention was,” regional police chief Eduard Sallent told reporters.

In August 2017, militant Islamists used a van to hit pedestrians in central Barcelona and carried out a follow-up attack, killing 16.

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