Spanish terror cell planned to use ‘Mother of Satan’ explosive used in 7/7 bombings to slaughter hundreds in ‘spectacular’ blast at Barcelona’s famous cathedral

I think it is generally accepted that the stash of gas and inflamables stored in the house in Alcanar which blew up on Wednesday was intended for something atrocious and that the gang had to hurredly impliment Plan B before they were neutralised. The famous Cathedral of the Infidel would have made an excellent target. The Daily Mail reports in English from Spanish newspaper El Espanol

The terrorists who killed 14 people and wounded over a hundred in Catalonia had originally planned to drive three vans packed with explosives into iconic parts of Barcelona including the Sagrada Familia cathedral, it has been reported. 

Had their butane-filled gas containers not accidentally detonated the night before the atrocities on Thursday, the 12-person terror cell would have used them to maximise deaths in the tourist hotspots of the Spanish city, local media suggest. 

They intended to explode one van in Las Ramblas, a second by the world-famous Sagrada Familia cathedral and the last in the port area of the city, El Espanol has claimed.

To detonate the gas, they intended to use the same TATP explosives – also known as the ‘Mother of Satan’ – that were blown up in the 7/7 bombings in London.  

Investigators believe a 12-strong terror cell planned to detonate the highly-explosive gas, using plastic explosive TATP – which was also found at the site – in its attack on the Catalan city’s tourist district.

But less than 24 hours before the atrocity, one member was killed in an accidental blast. Police have said there may still be another body buried in the rubble of the house in Alcanar, which is more than 120 miles south of Barcelona. More than 20 butane gas canisters were found intact in the wreckage, as well as Acetone peroxide (TATP) – nicknamed ‘Mother of Satan’ because of the high number of accidental explosions it causes.

The discovery supports claims by Spanish police that the gang planned to murder hundreds in a terrorist ‘spectacular’. 

Security experts believe the gang wanted to hire a large truck like the one used to devastating effect in the Nice atrocity two years ago, but they were unable to get permits so had to settle with smaller vans. 

Josep Lluis Trapero of Catalonia’s police said: ‘They were preparing one or several attacks in Barcelona, and an explosion in Alcanar stopped this as they no longer had the material they needed to commit attacks of an even bigger scope.’

…the New York Times has been told that the terror plot originally involved the use of a large truck and explosives. A counter-terror expert told the paper: ‘Part of the plan was they tried to rent a larger truck, but they didn’t have the right permit.’ As a consequence, they ended up renting much smaller vehicles – including the white Fiat van photographed with a crumpled bonnet after the devastating slaughter in Las Ramblas.