Islamic State praises Barcelona terrorists, threatens more attacks in Spain

Baghdad: The Islamic State (IS) has threatened to carry out more attacks in Spain if the country does not withdraw from an international coalition battling the terror group in the Middle East. [caption id=“attachment_3943291” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Injured people being treated in Barcelona. AP[/caption] The extremists made the announcement in a video entitled ‘The Conquest of Barcelona’ released on Wednesday. It featured two men speaking in Spanish, reports Efe news. One appeared in military uniform with his face visible while the other wore a ski-mask. The recording, which is nearly three minutes long, includes numerous images of Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy taking part in a ceremony to honour the victims of last week’s attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. Fifteen people were killed and more than 100 others wounded when terrorists used vehicles to run down pedestrians in the two separate attacks. Against a backdrop of television footage of the aftermath of the Barcelona tragedy, the men praise the “brothers” who carried out the attack. “Spaniards, you forget the Muslim blood spilled in the Spanish Inquisition. We will avenge the massacre…that is being committed now against the Islamic State,” one of the speakers says. “With God’s permission, Al Andalus (the Arabic name for Spain) will become again what it was, the territory of the caliphate.” Addressing Muslims in the West, the speaker says: “If you can’t emigrate to the Islamic State  make jihad where you are.” An off-screen voice speaking in Arabic says that unless Spain abandons the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, “we will never leave you in peace”.