Terror cell behind Spanish attacks dismantled - Minister

Spain will maintain its security alert at level 4, one notch below the maximum level which would signal an attack was imminent, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said on Saturday.

Zoido added the government would reinforce security in crowded areas and tourist hotspots, after a van mowed down people in Las Ramblas, Barcelona on Thursday, killing 13 including many foreign tourists.

Another person died after a separate attack in the resort town of Cambrils, where police shot five suspects dead.

"We are going to redirect our efforts and will adapt these to every place or area that needs special protection," Zoido told a news conference.

Zoido also said Spanish authorities considered the cell behind the attacks had been fully dismantled.

TRT World's Sarah Morice reports from Barcelona.

Royal visit

Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have visited victims in Barcelona's Hospital del Mar where they also spoke to medical staff.

Catalonia's emergency services said by Saturday, 54 people were being treated in hospital, with 12 in critical condition.

International Manhunt

Spanish authorities have also launched a manhunt for the supposed ringleader of a terror cell believed to be behind the two vehicle attacks.

The suspect has been identified as 22-year-old Moroccan national, Younes Abouyaaquoub.

Police sources have not confirmed reports saying he was the driver who ploughed into pedestrians in Barcelona.

The suspect's name figures on a list of four main suspects sought by police.

In addition to Abouyaaquoub, 17-year-old Moussa Oukabir, Said Aallaa 18, and Mohamed Hychami 24, all Moroccan nationals, were shot dead by police in Cambrils.

The list was issued throughout Spain and France, according to Spanish and French officials.

The French official said Spain had flagged a rental van that was believed to have crossed the border to the north.

Four others have been arrested as part of the investigation, Moussa's brother Driss is one of them. 

TRT World's Arabella Munro reports.

While the manhunt is underway, people continue to lay flowers and candles in Las Ramblas.