Barcelona Attack Suspect, Younès Abouyaaqoub Believed to Have Fled to France

Younès  Abouyaaqoub, the last suspect wanted in connection with Barcelona’s attacks, in believed to have fled to France, said police official, Josep Luis Trapero in a press conference today.

Spanish police have conducted a search for 22-year-old Moroccan born Abouyaaqoub, who is believed to be responsible for Barcelona attack that killed at least 13 and injured more than 130 people on August 17.

Abouyaaqoub is the chief suspect in the attack on Las Ramblas and is believed to be a member of a 12-radical jihadist cell responsible for the attacks in Barcelona and the nearby seaside resort of Cambrils.

The Spain resident lived in the town of Ripoll to the north of Barcelona, according to media reports.

Local police have not been able to identify his hiding location. “If we knew that he was in Spain and where, we would go after him. We don’t know where he is,” said police chief official, Josep Luis Trapero in a press conference.

Catalonia’s police chief also said during a press conference today that Abouyaaqoub might have crossed the border between Spain and France following the terrorist attack, adding that “we don’t have any specific information on this but it cannot be ruled out.”

Trapero indicated that border checks between Spain and other countries have been immediately reinforced following the attack, while Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalan’s police force, tweeted that “security checks continue in Catalonia and especially near the border with France.”

The families of the terrorists are still shocked because of their son’s wrongdoings. Abouyaaqoub’s mother urged her son to surrender and hand himself to the police, said Spanish news agency EFE in a statement.

Source: BNA