Barcelona faced a deadly attack on Thursday night that killed around 13 people and injured over 100. The assailants drove a van that mowed down pedestrians near the popular tourist area of Las Ramblas.
The utilisation of vehicles is seen as an increasingly common terror tactic by attackers which had led to many unfortunate deaths and injuries in Europe as well as London this year.
Westminster Attack, London, 22 March 2017
Three people were killed and over 40 injured after 52-year-old Khalid Masood, a Briton, mowed them down on Westminster Bridge in London. After crashing his car into a roadside railing, he then charged at a police officer outside the Parliament with a knife and stabbed him to death. He was then shot. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Stockholm Attack, 7 April 2017
A 39-year-old Uzbekistani national hijacked a truck and drove into a crowd at the Drottninggatan street in Stockholm. Five people were killed and around 14 injured. The attacker then rammed the vehicle into a department store and fled the scene. He was arrested the next day. Reports also said that a homemade explosive was also found in the truck.
London Bridge Attack, 3 June 2017
Terrorism struck at the heart of London after a vehicle veered off the road and mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge. The three occupants then got out of the car and stabbed people in Borough market. Over seven people lost their lives and around 50 were injured, 21 critically. Three suspects were gunned down and 12 others were arrested. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.
Attack Outside Mosque in Finsbury Park, 19 June 2017
Attacker Darren Osborne drove into pedestrians outside a mosque in north London killing one and injuring around 10. He had reportedly shouted “I want to kill all Muslims” as he rammed his van into people. UK Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as a “sickening” attempt to destroy liberties that unite Britain, such as freedom of worship.
Man Rams Car Into Soldiers in Levallois-Perret, Paris, 9 August 2017
French police shot and arrested a man suspected of deliberately ramming his car into a group of soldiers in a Parisian suburb, injuring six of them.
Armed police from elite units tracked the fugitive for five hours after the attack before cornering him on a motorway in northern France and shooting him several times.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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