A couple embrace under a billboard in Manchester city centre, Tuesday May 23, 2017, the day after the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande concert that left 22 people dead as it ended on Monday night. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Update via the Associated Press: Officials in the United States say British authorities have identified the suspect in the Manchester suicide bombing attack as Salman Abedi.
A U.S. official confirmed the identity Tuesday to The Associated Press. No additional details were immediately available.
The bombing Monday night at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester killed 22 people and sparked a stampede of young concertgoers.
ISIS claimed responsibility, but Dan Coats, the U.S. director of intelligence, says that connection has not yet been verified.
Theresa May on Tuesday said British police believe they know the identity of a suicide bomber who killed 22 people at the end of a Manchester concert by the singer Ariana Grande.
The British prime minister said the bomber, who struck at about 10.30pm at the Manchester Arena on Monday evening, aimed to cause “maximum carnage” by detonating his bomb outside one of the exits.
The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed the attack through its propaganda wing, Amaq, saying it had scored a “great victory” against the “crusaders” of Britain.
One of the youngest victims was named on Tuesday as Saffie Rose Roussos from Leyland, near Preston. She was eight years old.
May said the attacker had shown “cold calculation” by targeting children, adding that police believe they know his identity but are not disclosing it for the moment as the investigation continues. She did not identify the attacker.
Police on Tuesday said they have conducted raids in Manchester connected to the attack, conducted a “controlled explosion” in the Fallowfield area, and arrested a 23-year-old man in the south of the city.
“It is now beyond doubt that the people of Manchester and of this country have fallen victim to a callous terrorist attack, an attack that targeted some of the youngest people in our society with cold calculation,” May said.
“We now know that a single terrorist detonated his improvised explosive device near one of the exits of the venue, deliberately choosing the time and place to cause maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately.
“The police and security services believe that the attack was carried out by one man but they now need to know whether he was acting alone or as part of a wider group.
“The police and security services believe they know the identity of the perpetrator but at this stage of their investigations we cannot confirm his name.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he had spoken to the prime minister and agreed that election campaigning be suspended until further notice.
In a statement he said: “I am horrified by the horrendous events in Manchester last night. My thoughts are with families and friends of those who have died and been injured. Today the whole country will grieve.”
© Middle East Eye
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