Police to establish if Salman Abedi was acting alone

Police have named the suspected suicide bomber responsible for Monday night's attack at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena as Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old who was born in Manchester to Libyan parents. Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said police would not immediately release more information about Abedi because he was not yet formally identified as the bomber.

Mr Hopkins said police believed that Abedi had detonated an improvised explosive device in the foyer of the arena as fans were leaving the concert.

“The priority remains to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network,” Mr Hopkins said.

Police on Tuesday searched a number of addresses in southern Manchester associated with Abedi, who is believed to have blown himself up in the foyer of the arena, killing 22 people and injuring 59. They carried out a controlled explosion to enter a house in the Fallowfield area of the city which was Abedi’s last-known address.

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“As you would expect the police response to this across Greater Manchester has been significant as we support people to go about their daily business. Part of this response has seen us arrest a 23-year-old man in connection with the attack and we have also carried out two warrants, one in Whalley Range and one in Fallowfield that included a controlled explosion to enable safe entry,” Mr Hopkins said.

First three victims

The first three victims to be identified were Saffie Rose Roussos (8), Georgina Callander (18) and John Atkinson (28). The wounded, who include 12 children under the age of 16, were on Tuesday night being treated at eight hospitals around Manchester. A number of teenagers who attended Monday night's concert were still missing, despite appeals on broadcast and social media.

Prime minister Theresa May, who visited Manchester on Tuesday afternoon to meet emergency staff and police, described the attack as sickening.

“The explosion coincided with the conclusion of a pop concert which was attended by many young families and groups of children. All acts of terrorism are cowardly attacks on innocent people but this attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenceless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives,” she said.

Earlier, the prime minister attended the first of two meetings of Cobra, the government’s emergency committee. Cobra – which stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A – brings together ministers, officials, police and intelligence and security agencies in response to major events and emergencies.

“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,” Ms May said.

Campaigning suspended

As politicians from all parties condemned the attack, campaigning for the general election on June 8th was suspended until further notice. The parties have not yet agreed when to resume campaigning but the moratorium is expected to last a number of days, possibly until the weekend.

On Tuesday Ariana Grande suspended her world tour indefinitely, according to US media reports.

Signs of solidarity went up across Manchester on Tuesday, with “I Love Manchester” signs appearing on roadsides and buildings. The “I Love Manchester” campaign started in 2011 to restore confidence in the city after riots in Manchester and Salford.

An appeal for funds to help those affected by the attack, launched by the Manchester Evening News, had raised more than £500,000 by Tuesday evening.