Spain terror attacks: Five suspects 'wearing explosive belts' shot dead in Cambrils

Thirteen people died and dozens were hurt when a van hit crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona on Thursday. The driver fled and is still at large.

The police have sharpened the manhunt for the perpetrators of Europe’s latest rampage claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, declared after Thursday's attack.

The Catalan government said police in the seaside resort of Cambrils in southern Barcelona were responding to a second terrorist attack earlier on Friday, when they had fatally shot five people near the town’s seaside boardwalk.

Spanish police tweeted that a "police operation" was taking place in Cambrils some 120 kilometres south of Barcelona and tweeted asking people to "stay home, stay safe".

Six people, including a police officer, were injured. The bomb squad detonated the bomb belts.

The region’s Interior Minister Joaquin Forn told local radio RAC1 the Cambrils attack “follows the same trail" as the Barcelona attack. 

"There is a connection,” he said.

On Thursday, at least 13 people were confirmed to have been killed when a driver deliberately drove a van into pedestrians on one of Spain's busiest streets.

The police described the incident as a "terrorist attack".

A spokesman said that among the victims in the popular seaside city were nationals from France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Argentina, Venezuela, Belgium, Australia, Hungary, Peru, Romania, Ireland, Greece, Cuba, Macedonia, China, Italy and Algeria – without detailing whether he was referring to those who died or were injured.