The Islamic State’s official news agency claimed responsibility for the vehicular terrorist attack in Barcelona Thursday, Rita Katz of SITE Intelligence group reports.

MORE: Catalan police say, in reaction to reports, there is nobody held up in a bar in Barcelona https://t.co/iAtYDBawlk pic.twitter.com/bvANYQvYwF — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 17, 2017

Amaq described the terrorists responsible as “soldiers of the Islamic State,” a term it commonly uses when claiming Western terrorist attacks.

Spanish authorities have a suspect in custody and confirmed 12 civilians were killed in the attack along with 80 injured. The van plowed at a high rate of speed through a crowded tourist area in Barcelona. The attack is the deadliest in the country’s history since the Madrid subway bombings in 2004.

Video posted by #Barcelona suspect on May 17 peddles anti-semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish occupied government/media pic.twitter.com/U9oQRehtDi — Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) August 17, 2017

Authorities confirmed to Spanish media that Spanish national Driss Oukabir rented the van used in the attack. Oukabir appears to have posted anti-semitic youtube videos on his Facebook page in the past.

Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter

Send tips to saagar@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.