Barcelona terror – timeline of vehicle rampage attacks in Europe

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Debris is seen wedged in the smashed windscreen of a lorry, which was driven into a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016 - AP

Several people were killed and many more injured in a suspected terror attack on Barcelona. The vehicle, a van bearing the logo of a hire firm, was driven into pedestrians on the busy Las Ramblas street, a tourist hotspot.

This is the eighth such attack in Europe so far in 2017. Vehicles being driven into crowds is an increasingly common terrorist tactic, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries across the continent over the past 12 months, including some in London.

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The van used in the London Bridge terror attack Credit: LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE 

Vehicles are particularly easy to acquire and use. While some larger trucks, like the one used in the Berlin Christmas market attack, are stolen, it's trivial to hire a smaller van or car. The vehicle driven at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge was a Hyundai Tucson SUV, while the van used in the London Bridge attack was a hired Renault Master. 

Las Ramblas​, Barcelona, 17 August 2017

A hired van drove down Barcelona's Las Ramblas district on a sunny afternoon, killing 13 people and injuring 50 more.

The van is understood to have been hired from the Telefurgo rental chain. Anybody with a driving licence can hire this sort of van – prices in Spain are around £50 to £100 per day, depending on the age of the driver.

Levallois-Perret, Paris, 9 August 2017

A BMW 2-Series Active Tourer was driven into a group of soldiers in a suburb of Paris. Six people were injured, three seriously. The driver was then stopped on the A16 motorway, being shot several times in the process.

The hired BMW was equipped with a GPS tracking system, making it easy for the police to locate.

Champs-Élysées, Paris, 19 June 2017

A Renault Megane containing explosives and weapons (an AK-47 rifle and handguns) was driven into a Gendarmerie vehicle on the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris. Only the attacker was killed in what is understood to be a 'botched' suicide attack.

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Finsbury Park, London, 19 June 2017

A rented van was driven into a group of people outside a Mosque. The driver was heard saying "I want to kill all Muslims" and "this is for London Bridge". One person died.

London Bridge, London, 3 June 2017

A rented van was driven into pedestrians in the London Bridge area. The three attackers then got out of the van and began stabbing people, before being shot by police. A further 8 people died and 48 people were injured, 21 critically.