Spanish police have confirmed the man shot dead near Barcelona this afternoon is Younes Abouyaaqoub, the man suspected of driving the van used in the Barcelona attack.
He was gunned down in Subirats to the west of the city.
We confirm that the man shot down in #subirats is Younes Abouyaaqoub, author of the terrorist attack in #barcelona
— Mossos (@mossos) August 21, 2017
It appeared the suspect was wearing an explosive belt, leading police to send in a bomb disposal robot to check the scene.
The suspicious man in #Subirats wears what looks like a belt of explosives attached to the body. This man has been shot down
— Mossos (@mossos) August 21, 2017
The shooting marks the end of a Europe-wide search for Younes Abouyaaqoub, who is thought to have driven the van that killed 13 people on Las Ramblas last week.
However, a police operation continued in the area amid reports the Moroccan-born 22 year old may have been with at least one other person at the time he was surrounded.
