ROME, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two Italians are among the 14 fatalities in two terrorist attacks in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cambrils that also hurt at least 130 people of 34 different nationalities, Italian media reported Friday.
Thirteen people were killed Thursday afternoon in the popular Las Ramblas area of Barcelona when a white van zigzagged at high speed down the busy avenue thronged with tourists, knocking down pedestrians.
On Thursday night, the 14th victim, a woman, was reportedly stabbed and later died at hospital on Friday, when five people jumped out of a car and began attacking people at random on the seaside promenade in Cambrils, a town south of Barcelona. Spanish police shot all five attackers dead.
Both attacks were carried out by a single terrorist cell made up of about 12 people, according to Spanish police.
A terrorist cell made up of this many people "means a greater level of organization, therefore a greater danger", National Antimafia and Antiterrorism Prosecutor Franco Roberti told Italian public broadcaster RAI.
Roberti added that there are no connections so far with Italian cells "but the situation can change any minute".
Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attacks to ascertain those responsible for the attack, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Stefano Verrecchia, Chief of the Foreign Ministry Crisis Unit, confirmed to RAI that two Italian nationals were dead and another three were injured.
Italian media have identified them as Stefano Gulotta from the northern town of Legnano. Gulotta, a sales and marketing director at Tom's Hardware computer magazine, was on holiday in Barcelona with his wife, Martina, and their two children aged one and four years, who escaped unharmed.
The second victim is reportedly named as Luca Russo, a native of the northern town of Bassano del Grappa. He was in Barcelona on holiday with his girlfriend, who was injured in the attack, ANSA news agency reported.
"Italy remembers Bruno Gulotta and Luca Russo and draws close to their families," Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni tweeted Friday. "Liberty will win over the barbarism of terrorism."
Earlier on Friday, Gentiloni telephoned Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, assuring him of Italy's condolences, friendship and solidarity, ANSA reported.
The Spanish, EU, and Italian flags are being flown at half-mast in sign of mourning at Palazzo Chigi, the seat of government in Rome, Gentiloni tweeted.
"The attacks are a further, execrable demonstration of the cowardice of the terrorists, whose actions continue to elicit horror and repulsion," Italian President Sergio Mattarella wrote to King Felipe VI of Spain in a telegram posted on Twitter.
Also on Friday, Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti held an extraordinary meeting of the Strategic Antiterrorism Analysis Committee (CASA), which is made up of police and intelligence services.
"Although the alert remains extremely high, the threat level for Italy doesn't change," the Interior Ministry said in a statement following the meeting.
Minniti has ordered the reinforcement of security measures at possible targets and busy areas where a lot of people tend to congregate, according to the statement.
Italy has deported 67 people so far this year on suspicion of terrorism, an 81-percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Interior Ministry said.
