US cities on alert after Barcelona terror attack

By Canberk Yuksel

NEW YORK

Law enforcement agencies in major U.S. cities were on alert Thursday after a terror attack killed at least 13 people in Spain and injured dozens more.

Public information officers in New York, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles told Anadolu Agency they were monitoring the situation in Barcelona but there were no credible threats at this time.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) will deploy criminal response command vehicles to "Spanish locations," including the country's mission to the United Nations, consulate general and tourism office, NYPD Counterterrorism chief James R. Waters told reporters at a news conference in Times Square.

The force is taking these measures "out of an abundance of caution, with no threat information whatsoever," Waters said, adding the move was meant to be "reassuring" to those officials as well as all of New York City.

The Barcelona attack comes when President Donald Trump lacks a Secretary of Homeland Security since the previous one, John Kelly, joined the White House team as the president's chief of staff last month.

Acting secretary Elaine Duke "has been briefed on the situation in Barcelona, Spain and is being kept apprised of developments," according to a statement from the agency. “The department is standing by to support our allies as they respond to and recover from this horrendous attack."

A white van plowed into a crowd in central Barcelona Thursday, according to Catalonia's interior minister, Joaquim Forn .

"We can confirm 13 dead and more than 50 injured,” he said at a televised news conference. The number of injured has now reached 100.

The El Pais newspaper said the Daesh terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack through its media outlet, AMAQ.

Media reports also confirmed that two suspects were arrested.