Church leaders condemn Barcelona terror attack that left 13 people dead

Church leaders in Spain and across the world have condemned the two terror attacks in Barcelona that resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people.

On Thursday, a white Fiat mounted the pavement and mowed through crowds of tourists along Las Ramblas, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 100. Just hours after the attack, five suicide belt-wearing terrorists rammed civilians in the seaside town of Cambrils, injuring seven people, including a police officer.

John Carrana, a pastor at the International Church of Barcelona, described the attack as "shocking and horrifying," adding that it was something that he has prayed against.

"It's one of those things with the climate of what's happening in Europe and you hear of those types of things happening in other cities, you wonder if it will ever happen in your city. I was praying and hoping that it won't," Carrana told Premier.

He noted that some members of his congregation were close to the attack, but he has not heard of anyone from the church directly affected by the incident.

Rev. Canon Geoff Johnston, the Archdeacon for Spain at the Diocese of Europe, said that local churches will be ready to help the people who need prayer and counseling.

"They will be available if people want to talk to them, churches will be open for prayer as well. Of course as time goes on people may want more deeper counselling as well," he said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, expressed his support for the victims of the attack on Twitter.

"Full of sorrow for those affected by the attack in Barcelona, Christ give eternal light and peace and hope to the bereaved and injured," the archbishop wrote.

On Friday, the Spanish police launched a nationwide manhunt for the suspects involved in the Las Ramblas attack.

The five suspects involved in the second attack in Cambrils were shot dead by the police on Friday morning.

The authorities have arrested four suspects, and identified the driver of the van in the Barcelona attack as 17-year-old Moussa Oukabir.

Oukabir was reported by the media as one of the five men who were shot dead by the police in Cambrils. However, Josep Lluis Trapero, the regional police chief, said he could not confirm whether the driver was among those killed.

The Islamic State terror group took responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency, but the claim could not immediately be verified.

The incident has been considered as the worst attack in Spain since the Madrid train bombings in 2004, which resulted in the deaths of 192 people.