Spain terror suspects appear in court

The four men detained over last week's terror attacks in Spain appeared at the High Court here on Tuesday.

Driss Oukabir, Mohammed Allaa, Sahal El Karib and Mohammed Houli Chemlal were detained last week over their alleged role in the attacks on Barcelona and Cambrils which left 15 people dead and 130 wounded.

They are the only surviving members of a 12-member terror cell said to have been behind the attacks, the other eight members were killed -- two in an explosion and six were shot dead by the police, the Daily Mail reported.

Younes Abouyaaqoub, the 22-year-old Moroccan, thought to be the driver of the van that rammed into crowds in Barcelona was shot dead after being spotted in a vineyard to the west of Barcelona on Monday wearing a fake explosives belt.

The detained men are from the town of Ripoll, north of Barcelona, where the majority of those connected to the terror attacks lived.

The men appeared in court as police arrested one more person and were investigating three others in connection with the terror attacks, La Vanguardia reported. They include the parents of one of those in custody, and Nourine Oukabir, the cousin of brothers Driss and Moussa. The latter was one of the five terrorists shot dead by police during the second attack in Cambrils.

According to reports, Nourine Oukabir, despite living in Morocco, had been seen with members of the terrorist cell at a bar in Ripoll for a meeting that "lasted hours".

Investigating judge Fernando Andreu was expected to read out the charges against them, likely to span counts of terrorism, murder and possession of arms.

Forty-five companies in a Catalonia association of undertakers and funeral companies offered to perform funerals for the victims without charge.

--IANS

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