Eight thought to be have been involved in Catalonia attacks - judicial source

An armed Catalan Mossos d'esquadra officer stands guard at Las Ramblas street where a van crashed into pedestrians in Barcelona, Spain August 18, 2017. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish authorities believe there may have been eight people involved in a cell which carried out an attack in Barcelona on Thursday, and that the group had planned to use butane gas canisters, a judicial source with knowledge of the investigation said on Friday.

Catalan government official Joaquim Forn also told local radio earlier on Friday that it was possible that attackers had meant to use canisters in the attack on Thursday in which a suspect drove a van at speed along a busy pedestrian street.