President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned a deadly terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain, and pledged support to Spanish authorities, The Hill reports.
“The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you!” he tweeted.
The president weighed in just hours after a van plowed into a crowd of people on a pedestrian strip in a popular tourist area of the city, leaving 13 dead and more than 50 injured.
Trump joined a chorus of other U.S. officials and lawmakers in condemning the act of violence. First lady Melania Trump had also tweeted “thoughts and prayers to Barcelona” earlier in the afternoon.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addressed the attacks during a news conference with Japanese officials, reaffirming America’s commitment to fighting terrorism.
“Terrorists around the world should know the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice,” he said.
Authorities said two people had been arrested in the attack, including 28-year-old Driss Oukabir, a Moroccan citizen living in Spain legally. Police said Oukabir rented the van in question from an agency some 40 miles from Barcelona. A Spanish passport was found in the vehicle.
The terror in Barcelona began when a van veered off into a pedestrian area of the Las Ramblas district, a popular spot with tourists crowded with stands and shops.
This would just be the latest terror attack on a major European city in recent years.
The cities of London and Manchester have both been hit, including in a similar June attack in which a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge. Several men in the van armed with knives then stabbed a number of people in the nearby Borough Market, leaving eight dead and 48 wounded.
In 2016, a cargo truck was used in a terror attack in Nice, France. ISIS claimed responsibility for the Nice attack, which killed 86 people.
The deadly crash comes days after a man with reported white supremacist ties allegedly rammed his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a white supremacist rally to protest the removal of a Confederate statue, killing one and injuring more than a dozen others.
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