The terror warning was highlighted by several Spanish papers today who said they had seen an internal alert sent to regional Mossos d’Esquadra officers. The revelation surfaced after the US state department tweeted: “Spain. Exercise heightened caution around areas of vehicle movement including buses in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona during Christmas and New Year. Respected Catalan daily El Periodico said it had been told by police sources an internal alert had warned officers a man born in the Moroccan city of Casablanca could try to mow down pedestrians using a coach or similar vehicle.
It said the alert had mentioned Christmas Day as the date for the possible attack and said the regional Mossos d’Esquadra had given it “medium” credibility.
Spanish daily El Pais published the initials of the man police are said to be hunting for – B.L. – and described him as a 30-year-old who had a bus licence.
It said: “The Mossos are carrying out checks on minibuses and coaches in the centre of Barcelona, as well as reinforcing security elsewhere, to try to track down the possible suspect.
A Mossos spokesman admitted this morning the force was considering issuing a statement during the day following the publication of the information.
He said: “The terror alert remains on level four out of a possible level five.
“Any warning that reaches us is analysed.”
Moroccan Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, used a rented van to mow down and kill 15 people including British-born Julian Cadman, seven, in Barcelona’s famous Las Ramblas on August 17 last year.
More than 130 people were injured.
Police shot dead Younes in vineyards in Subirats an hour’s drive west of Barcelona after he went on the run following the Barcelona massacre. He was later buried in an unmarked grave in a funeral held in secret in his homeland.
City hall chiefs installed metal bollards after the attack to stop vehicle access.
Last Friday police in Barcelona arrested a 33-year-old Moroccan described as a “dangerous ISIS terrorist” who had managed to reach Spain after fighting in Syria.
Catalan Interior Minister Miquel Buch has confirmed the existence of the terror alert.
He said in a radio interview: “It’s one more of those we receive.
“No doubt this case is a little different because of the US State Department tweet.
“All are investigated and worked on throughly.
“This is one more.”
He added: “Terrorism is a global threat and we all have to maximise security.
“We take all threats seriously.
“But we would make a mistake if we lived with fear. We have to be able to live with total freedom and normality. If not, we would let them win.”
Spanish newspaper El Pais has identified the terror suspect by his initials only.
But Catalan daily El Periodico, as well as other digital Spanish media, went a step further today and named him as Brahim Lmidi.
One, quoting part of the alert that has been circulated to Barcelona police, said: “There is a threat from an individual who is believed to have the intention of committing a terrorist act on December 25 mowing down people with a bus or a similar vehicle.”
It said nine steps to increase security had been listed in the internal police document, in the city centre and other tourist hotspots like the Sagrada Familia.