Barcelona attack
We condemn the mindless terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, Spain, leaving at least 19 people dead and more than 130 people seriously injured. A night of terror in Catalonia began with a botched attempt to carry out a gas bomb attack that, if successful, would have been far more destructive. Twenty-four hours later, however, scenes of carnage emerged in two popular tourist destinations, packed with tourists from around the world, in an attack similar to those in Nice and London.
Like other European countries, Spain has been the target of Islamic State's repeated terror plots, all of which have been foiled until this one got through. After the Madrid train bombing in 2004, which remains the deadliest terrorist attack on European soil in this century, Spain has developed one of the most intensive and vigorous anti-terrorism apparatus on the continent. That along with relatively better integration of Muslim community in the society is cited as the reason of Spain's relative success in tackling terrorism. Unlike its many other Western counterparts, the Spanish authorities didn't unleash any massive crackdown in the aftermath of these attacks that could target the wider Muslim community in general, because that's exactly what those fanatics would want to see. Success in anti-terrorism lies partly in judicious conduct of counter terror programmes
However, what is noticeable is the change of tactics by terrorists which includes more indiscriminate selection of targets and use of vehicles as a weapon. In Europe alone since July 2016 there have been seven attacks using vehicles. And this should be a lesson for those countries that have faced the scourge. We should remember that a method easily usable is quickly replicated.
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