THE terrorists who struck at the heart of Barcelona this week could have been plotting to blow up a gas-filled van by the Spanish city's beloved Sagrada Familia.

Cops believe the group who killed 14 in total in two devastating attacks in Catalonia initially planned to drive vans stocked with explosives into iconic parts of Barcelona.

12 Cops believe the terrorists had plans to target iconic spots in the city with vans stuffed with gas canisters - such as the Sagrada Familia Credit: Photographers Choice - Getty

12 20 gas bottles were found at the property believed to be home to the terrorists who carried out the attack on Barcelona Credit: AFP

If the terror cell's 'Mother of Satan' gas canisters hadn't accidentally exploded hours before the attack the gang of 12 would have caused huge explosions in Las Rambles, the famous cathedral and the port area, El Espanol reports.

However an explosion at a property in Alcanar saw a number of the cell killed and their plans change.

The still carried out a devastating attack on the city before rampaging through Cambrils, a seaside town, hours later.

The terror attack saw a van - without explosives - driven into pedestrians in the tourist hotspot of Las Rambles, killing 13 and wounding more than 100.

Hours later five terrorists were shot dead by Spanish cops after killing one person in Cambrils and injuring dozens more in a second spree.

A Catalan bomb squad rushed to the property believed to be the stronghold of the terror cell on Friday and since found 120 gas canisters they fear were part of the terror plot, before the accidental explosion destroyed the house.

12 Two died in the gas explosion which destroyed a house, pictured, in the village of Alcanar, Catalonia Credit: EPA

12 Smoke caused by the controlled explosion carried out by police in Alcanar Credit: AFP or licensors

12 Bomb squads carried out a controlled explosion at the property Credit: EPA

12 A tow truck removes a motorbike and a car seized in the surroundings of the destroyed house in Alcanar Credit: EPA

The police chief of Catalonia region Josep Lluis Trapero said: "We're starting to see clearly that (the Alcanar house) was the place where they were preparing explosives for one or more attacks in the city of Barcelona."

Cops later found human remains amongst the debris after initially finding one body lying in the rubble of the house - two bodies have now been identified, police said on Sunday.

A third occupant of the house was wounded and taken to hospital for treatment, who has since been arrested.

A total of 15 others are reported to have been injured in the initial explosions.

Firefighters believe a gas build-up caused the explosion, which levelled the home - and found about 20 butane and propane gas bottles at the scene.

Yesterday officers also found traces of explosive TATP, used by ISIS, in the rubble, reports el Pais.

The explosive is commonly used by terrorists as it is difficult to detect, but it has been nicknamed as 'The Mother of Satan' because of its high susceptibility to accidental detonation.

12 Then aftermath of the blast at the home where it is feared a bomb was being made Credit: @bomberscat

12 An aerial view shows the extent of the devastation Credit: @bomberscat

12 Dozens of gas canisters were found at the property, according to Spanish media reports Credit: ACN

TATP was used in the 2005 London bombing, the 2016 Brussels bombing and the recent Manchester Area bombing.

Josep Lluis Trapero of the regional police of Catalonia said the two blasts thwarted further terror attacks in the Spanish city.

He said: "The explosion in Alcanar meant the terrorists no longer had the necessary materials to prepare more widespread attacks on Barcelona.

"They were probably looking for a different kind of attack".

He stressed that the cell was made up of "youths" and they had been preparing for the attacks for "a certain time", suggesting months.

It was also revealed today that a piece of identification belonging to the person wounded in the Alcanar explosion was found in the van used to smash into pedestrians on Las Ramblas.

Ara.cat reported that of seven were initially wounded. Four were French citizens, one was Italian, another Moroccan and the other Spanish.

The most seriously hurt were two French men, the Moroccan and the Spaniard.

A police source said: "The explosion was very violent, and the investigators are still finding human remains."

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Firefighters rescued a victim from the rubble and rushed him to hospital. The blast was felt miles away.

Neighbours said that people were at the house on and off for months.

French holidaymaker Elliane Fernandez was staying in the house next door and said: “I was with some friends at the dinner table when we felt a powerful explosion which broke the windows and caused the lights to go out.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

A van hit a crowd in the tourist hotpsot Las Ramblas in Barcelona, an area packed with people, at around 5pm on Thursday

Thirteen people have died and 100 more were injured in the attack

At least 34 nationalities are among the victims, Spain's civil protection agency said

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said van attack result of 'jihadist terrorism'

The driver of the vehicle was seen fleeing on foot and a manhunt is underway

At least four men have been arrested in connection with the attack, but neither were the driver of the vehicle, cops said

A driver later ran into two officers at a Barcelona police checkpoint - but police say it was not linked to the Las Ramblas attack

Officials are linking the van attack with an explosion that killed one person at a house 124 miles away from Las Ramblas on Wednesday

ISIS has said it carried out the van attack, according to its Amaq agency

Seven people are injured and five terrorists have been killed in a second terror attack in Cambrils - one person was later confirmed to have died there

The bloodshed erupted in the early hours of Friday in the resort town located 70 miles south of the earlier attack.

“I called for my husband, who suffered a head injury. He was taken to hospital with a cousin, who was also injured."

Four men arrested after a van attack in Barcelona's tourist hotspot Las Ramblas, which killed at least 13 people today, were connected to the incident.

Police say that another man who ran over two officers at a checkpoint in Barcelona was shot dead, but added that it did not appear that the incident was linked to the van attack.

The driver of the van which mowed people down on the busy Las Ramblas avenue left the vehicle on foot and did not appear to be armed, a Catalan police official told a news conference.

Catalan police have identified four men in connection with the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.

They are Moussa Oukabir, Said Aallaa, Younes Abouyaaqoub and Mohamed Hychami.

Oukabir, Aalla and Hychami are confirmed to have been killed by police in Cambrils in the early hours of this morning. Abouyaaqoub is as yet unaccounted for.

12 A white van that ploughed into pedestrians in Las Ramblas, Barcelona Credit: Twitter/RichardBelis

12 A scene of horror as police evacuate the area in response to the van attack on Thursday Credit: Alamy

12 A body covered with a foil blanket lying on the blood-splattered ground Credit: Reuters

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