Madrid, Foxnews, August 22, 2017 – One of the four alleged members of the extremist cell arrested after a pair of deadly Spanish terror attacks last week appeared before a judge in Spain’s National Court on Tuesday — and reportedly admitted there was a “bigger attack” being planned.
The four men, believed to be the only members left alive of the extremist cell, were moved from Barcelona to Madrid to attend the closed-door hearing early Tuesday. The prosecutor urged the suspects, identified by Spanish media as Driss Oukabir, Mohammed Aalla, Salh el Karib and Mohamed Houli Chemlal, be held without bail.
Chemlal was the first to testify, and he said there was a bigger attack planned following the Barcelona and Cambrils vehicle assaults that left 15 dead and more than 120 wounded, the BBC reported citing judicial sources.
Four alleged members of a terror cell accused of killing 15 people in attacks in Barcelona, Mohamed Houli Chemlal, Driss Oukabir, Salah El Karib and Mohamed Aallaa, leaves a Civil Guard base on the outskirts of Madrid before appearing in court in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017
Four men were arrested last week for their alleged involvement in the planning or execution of attacks in Barcelona on Thursday and the northeastern resort town of Cambrils early Friday
A National Court spokesman said Chemlal’s testimony before Judge Fernando Andreu lasted more than an hour. The judge is set to decide whether the four suspects will remain in jail or be released.
Security has been tightened after the van rampage on Barcelona’s popular Las Ramblas boulevard
A spokeswoman for prosecutors said Tuesday the four suspects would be interrogated in the presence of lawyers provided by the court throughout the day. Speaking anonymously in line with court rules, she said the testimony would be in Spanish without interpreters.
Three of the alleged terror cell members were arrested last Thursday and Friday in the northern Catalan town of Ripoll. Chemlal was arrested after he was injured in an accidental house explosion in Alcanar, home officials believe was a bomb-making workshop.
Mohamed Houli Chemlal, suspected of involvement in the terror cell that carried out twin attacks in Spain
Authorities believe all 12 members of the extremist cell responsible for coordinating the deadly attacks, including a former imam, were either dead or under arrest. Younes Abouyaaqoub, who Spanish police identified as the driver of the van in the Barcelona assault and the final member of the cell, was shot dead Monday. Police said Abouyaaquob appeared to be wearing an explosive belt.
Gas canisters which contained deadly butane gas were recovered from a home in Alcanar, 60
Five other members of the group were shot dead during the Cambril vehicle attack. Two other members, including the imam, died during the Alcanar house explosion the night before Thursday’s assault.
