A man armed with a knife has been shot dead after launching an attack at a police station near Barcelona that is now being treated as a terror incident.
Spanish police confirmed on Monday that a knifeman had been shot at a police station in the north eastern region of Catalonia at about 6am on Monday.
“Right now we are treating this as a terrorist attack,” regional investigative police chief Rafel Comas told a news conference.
Regional Mossos police earlier said on Twitter that the man had entered the police station in Cornella “with the aim of attacking the officers”.
The man was reportedly shot in the reception area of the station and despite ambulances rushing to the scene, he died as a result of his injuries, La Vanguardia reported.
A Mossos spokeswoman said she could not give any further information.
Police have opened an investigation in order to clarify the attacker’s motive.
State broadcaster RTVE said the attacker was a 29-year-old Algerian resident in Cornella, with Spanish identity documents.
The incident comes days after commemorations were held in Barcelona following the first anniversary of the Las Ramblas terror attack on August 17 last year.
Moroccan Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, used a rented van to mow down and kill 22 people, including British-born Julian Cadman.