MADRID (AP) — Police in Barcelona said a false alarm involving a suspicious van prompted the evacuation of the landmark Sagrada Familia basilica and its surroundings Tuesday evening.

A spokesman with the Mossos d’Esquadra regional police said the sight of two occupants in the van near the church had raised the alarm of a possible extremist threat, but a bomb squad that searched the vehicle didn’t find any explosives.

The spokesman declined to be identified by name, following the force’s protocol.

Barcelona, a tourism hub in northeast Spain’s Catalonia region, and a nearby coastal town were targets of extremist attacks that killed 16 people last month.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the van attack in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas district and the vehicle and knife attack in the coastal town of Cambrils.

In addition, eight members of an extremist cell died or were shot dead by police and two more jailed under preliminary charges of terrorism.

One of the survivors told the judge a judge that the cell’s initial plan was to strike monuments and churches in Barcelona.

Spain has kept its anti-terrorism security warning one level below the maximum since mid-2015.</s>New Barcelona signing Ousmane Dembélé is set to start against Juventus tomorrow and make his first European appearance with his new club, according to a report of Sport. The Frenchman joined Barcelona on a stunning € 150 million move this summer and he is expected to fill the boots of Neymar at the Camp Nou with the Brazilian who signed for Psg for € 222 million becoming the world’s most expensive player.Dembélé made his Barcelona debut on Saturday night when he entered the pitch in the second half to replace Gerard Deulofeu. The Frenchman assisted Suarez who scored Barcelona’s fifth goal of the night against their city rivals and the blaugrana boss Ernesto Valverde believes Dembélé is ready to start his first game with the La Liga giants.Valverde is happy of how Dembélé has settled in his new team and is ready to make him start against Juve in the most important game of the season so far.</s>Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church and nearby shops have been evacuated in a police anti-terrorism operation.

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We're also on Facebook/dailymirror - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Mirror Online.</s>Catalan police said on Tuesday they had cordoned off the Sagrada Familia church, a famous tourist site in Barcelona, as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

MADRID: Catalan police said on Tuesday they had cordoned off the Sagrada Familia church, a famous tourist site in Barcelona, as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

Police said on Twitter they were conducting checks at the site.</s>Police in Barcelona say explosives experts are checking a van in the surroundings of the landmark Sagrada Familia cathedral in what they are describing as an anti-terrorism operation</s>Police in Barcelona on Tuesday said explosives experts are checking a van near the Sagrada Familia cathedral in what they are describing as an anti-terrorism operation.

A spokesperson with the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police said the church has been evacuated and several streets cordoned off.

The spokesperson declined to be identified by name, following the force's protocol.

Barcelona, a tourism hub in northeast Spain's Catalonia region, and a nearby coastal town were targets of extremist attacks that killed 16 people last month. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Spain has kept its anti-terrorism security warning one level below the maximum since mid-2015.</s>Police in Barcelona say explosives experts are checking a van in the surroundings of the landmark Sagrada Familia cathedral in what they are describing as an anti-terrorism operation.

A spokesman with the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police said the church has been evacuated and several streets cordoned off to allow police work in the area.

The spokesman declined to be identified by name, following the force's protocol.

Barcelona, a tourism hub in northeast Spain's Catalonia region, and a nearby coastal town were targets of extremist attacks that killed 16 people last month. The Islamic State claimed the attacks.

Spain has kept its anti-terrorism security warning one level below the maximum since mid-2015.</s>Police have evacuated the Sagrada Familia cathedral Tuesday in Barcelona as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

Police tweeted which streets and train stations were being closed as part of the operation. Mossos Police also said they have “evicted” shops and businesses at the cathedral.

ABC Catalonia reported that police received a warning prompting the evacuation of the cathedral.

RT News reported that a bomb squad has been deployed to investigate a suspicious vehicle near the church.

The operation comes before the start of a soccer game between Barcelona and Juventus.

Last month, a van rammed into a crowd of pedestrians in Las Ramblas, Madrid, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens of others. Later, another attack was carried out in the Spanish resort town of Cambrils, where at least one person was killed. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. Spain has remained on a high terror alert following the attacks.</s>Police have evacuated tourists from the area around Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church as part of an anti-terror operation.

The nearest tube station has been closed and locals and holidaymakers ordered away from cafe and bar terraces and told to take refuge inside premises.

Specialist bomb disposal experts have been sent to the area to check a van, police said.

Several roads have also been closed. The area has been cordoned off as police rush to investigate.

The drama is understood to have been sparked by a suspicious package inside a van.

Regional Mossos d'Esquadra police tweeted in a message partly directed at those immediately affected: 'We are making checks around the Sagrada Familia as part of an anti-terror operation and have cordoned off the area. Follow the instructions of police.'

The Sagrada Familia, one of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions, was the intended target of the terrorists who carried out last month's atrocity in the city's famous Ramblas and the seaside resort of Cambrils.

It comes less than a month after 13 people were murdered and 130 hurt in the city's Las Ramblas when a jihadist drove a van into pedestrians on the street.

Five men then drove into pedestrians in nearby Cambrils, murdering one woman and hurting six others before being shot dead by police.

It later emerged that the terrorists were plotting to detonate vans loaded with gas canisters into popular tourist destinations in Barcelona - including the Sagrada Familia.

Catalan police said today they were evacuating the holy site and nearby businesses as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

They said earlier on Twitter they had cordoned off the site.

Spain has kept its anti-terrorism security warning one level below the maximum since mid-2015.</s>Police in Barcelona have sent a bomb squad to check a van parked by the Sagrada Familia church.

They’ve evacuated the famous tourist site as well as nearby shops as part of an anti-terror operation.

The huge unfinished building is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.

More as we get it ...
The Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona is evacuated due to an anti-terrorism operation.