Madrid police on alert
Madrid police on alertReuters

Spanish officials confirmed that Younes Abouyaaquoub, the suspected driver of the van which rammed into a crowd of pedestrians in an Islamist terrorist attack in Barcelona last Thursday, was killed Monday.

"The suspicious man in Subirats wears what looks like a belt of explosives attached to the body. This man has been shot down," regional police announced on Twitter. Subirats is a town approximately 37 miles from Barcelona.

15 people were murdered and over 100 wounded in a series of terrorist attacks in Spain last week.

Authorities believe that the terror cell consisted of 12 members, of whom only Abouyaaqoub was still at large. Five terrorists have been killed, four have been arrested, and two died in a 'work accident' when a bomb they were making exploded.

According to reports, Abouyaaqoub was wearing a fake explosive vest when he was shot dead.

Abouyaaqoub fled the scene of the attack on foot. He stole a vehicle and stabbed the driver to death. When he reached a police checkpoint he escaped from the vehicle. The authorities had been unable to locate him following his escape until Monday,

Authorities feared that Abouyaaqoub had fled to France, and the search for him was extended to all European nations.

The ISIS terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attacks.