Several blocks around the iconic Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona were sealed off by the police on Tuesday evening after complaints about a suspicious van parked outside.

Armed police searched bins, and told shopkeepers to close their businesses, as a bomb squad examined the vehicle. About an hour after news of the operation began filtering through to the media, police declared the incident a "false alarm."

Police said that there were two people inside the van, but that nobody was arrested.

In the framework of anti-terrorist operation we're carrying out checks on Sagrada Familia, TEDAX is checking a van parked in the street — Mossos (@mossos) 12 September 2017

Primeres imatges dels carrers tallats i el col·lapse de trànsit a l'entorn de la #SagradaFamíliahttps://t.co/I5mbb1sf4Mpic.twitter.com/bTuptwg4Yr — btv notícies (@btvnoticies) September 12, 2017

Els carrers al voltant de la Sagrada Familia tallats i desallotjats per alerta de seguretat pic.twitter.com/pOuhk75Nnm — Carles González (@carlesgonzalezg) September 12, 2017

INFORMACIÓ SERVEI

Estació #Metro Sagrada Familia #L2 i 5 no s'atura a l'estació. Agafeu ruta alternativa#ProteccioCivil — EmergènciesCatalunya (@emergenciescat) September 12, 2017

Oddness in #Barcelona just got out of Sagrada Familia and Police have cordoned off 4 city blocks. pic.twitter.com/GHZCEkpyT4 — Bobby L. Meneses (@bobbylmeneses) September 12, 2017

All streets around Sagrada Familia are blocked and police are moving everyone out of the area. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/W0qsMcEnhp — cătălin codrean (@ccodrean) September 12, 2017

Somebody knows what's happening at #SagradaFamilia ? We were just asked to leave the tube station immediately + police everywhere #Barcelona — Sandra Pasarić (@passandra21) September 12, 2017

Estación de metro sagrada familia y calles cercanas cerradas dentro de operativo antiterrorista.. #SagradaFamilia#terrorismo evitar la zona pic.twitter.com/4yRLA0Rck8 — juan Rodríguez Roiz (@drjuanroiz) September 12, 2017

At least 16 victims and eight suspected Islamic terrorists died in a series of attacks through the region of Catalonia last month. The worst of these happened in the city’s main street of La Rambla, where a rented van mowed down pedestrians, killing 15 and injuring more than 130 others.

READ MORE: Barcelona attack suspect reveals bigger attack with explosives was planned

Local media reported that the attackers had planned to set off homemade explosive charges near the UNESCO-listed landmark, but were dissuaded when two of them died in an accidental blast days before the attack.