The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned Spanish police months ago of a possible terror attack in Barcelona, a Spanish newspaper has reported.
The CIA informed local Spanish police about the terrorist threat about two months ago, and particularly named the Las Ramblas tourist area of Barcelona, the El Perodico newspaper reported on Friday.
At least 13 people were killed and about 100 were injured on Thursday after a van plowed into a crowd in Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
“The CIA warned the Mossos [local police] two months ago that Barcelona, and in particular the Rambla, could be the scene of a terrorist attack like the one that occurred this afternoon,” El Perodico's report said.
Supporters of the Daesh Takfiri group have claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the first successful terrorist attack in the European country since 2004, when suspected members of al-Qaeda attacked Madrid's commuter train system, killing 192 people and wounding more than 1,000 others.
Trump condemned the attack in Barcelona and went on to encourage gross violence against Muslims. In line with his anti-Muslim rhetoric, Trump suggested that some Muslims should be executed with bullets dipped in pig's blood.
"Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught," Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon. "There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!"
Trump’s tweet referenced a dubious story about US Army General John Pershing’s handling of Muslim prisoners during the Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) in the Philippines. The rebellion was an armed conflict between Muslims and the US military.