- A blast rocked US singer Ariana Grande’s concert in the English city of Manchester on Monday night
- Police says that at least 22 people were killed and around 59 were injured
- Police arrested a 23-year-old in South Manchester, in relation to the attack
- ISIS claims responsibility for the attack
- Britain suspends election campaign for 8 June general election
- Suspected bomber identified as Salman Abedi
May Says Threat Level Raised To "Critical" After Manchester Attack
Britain has increased its security threat level to "critical" from "severe" following a suicide attack in Manchester that killed 22 people, including children, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday.
May also said members of the armed forces would boost security at key sites and military personnel might be deployed at public events such as concerts and sports events.
May said the independent body which sets the threat level had recommended it be raised after a man named by police as Salman Abedi set off an improvised bomb on Monday night as crowds streamed out of a concert.
"It is now concluded on the basis of today's investigations that the threat level should be increased for the time being from severe to critical," she said in a televised statement following a meeting of the government's crisis response committee.
At least 22 persons, including children, were killed when a suicide bomb blast tore through a crowd of fans leaving an Ariana Grande pop concert in the Manchester Arena, shocking the country and underlining the continued threat to European security.
The suspected bomber behind the Manchester bomb blast has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi.
Another 23-year-old man, Abedi’s brother, has been arrested in connection with the attack, police said on Tuesday.
At least 59 people were also injured in the blast set off when the attacker detonated an improvised explosive device, shortly after singer Ariana Grande had finished her performance on Monday night. The lone male attacker died in the blast, Greater Manchester Police said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the "appalling terrorist attack" that came two months after the Westminster attack. All campaigning for the June 8 general election has been suspended.
The explosion took place around 10:35 pm in the foyer of the Arena building as 20,000 fans were streaming towards the exit doors. It is the worst terror attack in Britain since 56 people were killed in the July 2005 London bombings.
Suspected Bomber Identified as Salman Abedi
US officials said that the suspected bomber behind the Manchester bomb blast has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi.
Two of the officials who have been in contact with British authorities said that the suspect was believed to have travelled to Manchester from London by train.
The Manchester police later confirmed his identity.
I can confirm that the man suspected of carrying out last night’s atrocity is 22-year-old Salman Abedi. Our priority, along with the police counter terrorism network and our security partners, is to continue to establish whether he was acting alone or working as part of a wider network.Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins
UK PM May Reaches Manchester
UK PM May reached Manchester to survey the site of the attack on Tuesday. She said that the police and the security forces were working in tandem to investigate the possible involvement of a larger group in the attack.
I’ve been talking to the police about the investigation that is continuing, and they and the security services are working, obviously, to identify whether there was a wider group of people involved in this particular incident.May to BBC Television