The Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police, are investigating an incident this morning at a police station in Cornellà de Llobregat, the force's high commissioner, Rafel Comes, has said. All mossos and members of Spain's other police forces have been recommended to increase security precautions.
The decision to treat it as an attack is based on the perpetrator shouting the name of Allah repeatedly during the incident, their attempt to kill a police officer and the current terror alert level, 4 out of 5. As such, they sent out a warning for all mossos to tighten security measures. They've recommended the rest of Spain's police offices and agents do the same.
The incident took place at 5.52am today at a Mossos station in Cornellà de Llobregat near Barcelona. A man entered the building shouting "Allahu Akbar" with a knife in hand. He was shot and killed by the officer on the front desk.
The attacker was, according to police sources, a man named Abdelouahab Taib. Taib was originally from Algeria, but lived in Cornellà de Llobregat and had a NIE, the ID number needed by foreigners in Spain for various purposes. Sources say he was born in April 1989 and had no criminal record.
The high commissioner says that, shortly before 6am this morning, an individual rang the Cornellà station's intercom saying they wanted to ask something. The agent on reception opened the door for the individual who "rushed" them with a "large knife". "They had the predetermined idea to attack the agent and end their life", said Comes, who also confirmed that the agent used their firearm in response to the situation.
Members of the legal service remove the man's body from the station. Photo: EFE / Enric Fontcuberta.
Mossos didn't want to give more details about how the attack happened as they form part of the investigation. They did, however, highlight that the perpetrator made various comments of which the agent only identified the name of Allah on a number of occasions. The officer, and another in the station at the time, have been attended to by psychologists.
The attacker, who "had been in Spain for some time", has no criminal record. He carried ID, but it's not yet been officially confirmed that it was his own. Officers are checking his fingerprints against national and international databases.
The investigation, headed by the Mossos d'Esquadra, is the responsibility of investigating court number two of Spain's National Audience. Spanish National Police and Civil Guard are cooperating.
According to Comes, they are in contact with the intelligence services.