Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Submit Guest Post

Manchester bomber didn't act alone; more arrests likely, say police

The Libyan-origin suicide bomber, who carried out the terror attack in Manchester city killing 22 people, did not act alone, police said, indicating that more arrests are likely.

The Greater Manchester police said that their investigation into the terror attack carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, at the end of a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande in May, is likely to lead to further arrests.


Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of counter-terrorism in north-west England, said that Abedi had carried the explosive device through the streets of Manchester for "several hours" before blowing up at his intended target.

"We are still working to understand the manner by which he became radicalised," Jackson told reporters at Greater Manchester Police headquarters this week.

Abedi's family is from Libya but fled during the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi.

Abedi travelled to Libya numerous times and police are investigating how he learnt to make a bomb.

Detectives are working with Libyan authorities to question Abedi's brother, 20-year-old Hashem, who is being held in Tripoli. He was arrested along with their father Ramadan.

"Salman Abedi travelled to Libya a number of times in his life. What we are looking at is the number of ways he learned the skills to build the device," Jackson said.

Officers are still searching for a blue suitcase in a landfill site, which has been described as a "key line in the inquiry".

The police investigation into the attack is expected to continue for "many, many months to come" as police have 16,000 hours of CCTV footage and 755 statements to analyse.

More than 250 people were hurt with injuries ranging from paralysis and loss of limbs to internal and facial injuries in the blast.

The bomb had a "devastating" impact and gouged out a section of the concrete floor of Manchester Arena in the heart of the city.

Greater Manchester Police also disclosed more emotional details of the aftermath of the attack on May 22, describing how forensics officers had used roses and nameplates to pinpoint where the bodies of families' loved ones fell in a dignified way.

Add EasternEye As Your Trusted Source
preferred source on google news

More For You

pilot-Smit-Machchhar

A sculpture made by India's sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik depicts India's pilot Smit Machchhar at a beach in Odisha's Puri city on October 1, 2026.

(Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

Israel to honour Indian pilot Smit Machchhar with highest civilian bravery award

Highlights

  • Israeli president Isaac Herzog says Machchhar will receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
  • The Indian pilot was stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight on September 30.
  • Six other people aboard the aircraft received the award for helping prevent the plane from crashing.

ISRAEL will honour Indian pilot Smit Machchhar with its highest civilian award for heroism after he fought off an attack by his co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight, president Isaac Herzog has announced.

Keep ReadingShow less