Manchester suicide bomber named by police

The attack on Monday night at Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people, including children, was carried out by a suicide bomber who died at the scene. Some 59 people were also injured in the blast.

British police had asked the media to hold off on publishing the attacker’s name. Several American news organizations including CBS and NBC ignored the request, however, citing anonymous US officials who leaked the details from their conversations with British authorities.

The attack on Monday night at Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people, including children, was carried out by a suicide bomber who died at the scene. Some 59 people were also injured in the blast. The attack on Monday night at Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people, including children, was carried out by a suicide bomber who died at the scene. Some 59 people were also injured in the blast.

US-UK intelligence alliance snafu redux: officials here ask media not to name Manc bomber. US officials leaking name left, right, centre

— Sam Gad Jones (@samgadjones) May 23, 2017

The bomber's name:
U.K. police: "Speculation is unhelpful and potentially damaging to investigation"
US security services: "Here you are"

— Thomas Penny (@ThomasWPenny) May 23, 2017

The Prime Minister's spokesperson was asked during a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon whether they were concerned that information passed to the US had apparently been leaked without their consent by US officials. They were also asked whether they could trust that such sensitive information could be passed to the White House in future.

The spokesperson replied simply that they “would not comment on leaks,” according to Business Insider.

Asked to confirm the attacker’s name, the spokesperson replied: “Greater Manchester Police said that confirmation would take place after formal ID had been confirmed and that is where they are.”

The Telegraph reports Abedi was born in Manchester in 1994, and was the second youngest of four children. His parents were reportedly Libyan refugees who came to the UK to escape the Gaddafi regime.

While the working theory is that the perpetrator triggered the blast alone, the national counter-terror network are urgently piecing together his background to see whether he had any help in planning the attack.

Reuters reports Abedi traveled to Manchester from London by train before carrying out the attack.

Police terror raids continue after man arrested in connection with attack

Bomb squads swooped on a home in the Manchester suburb of Fallowfield to carry out a “controlled explosion” as part of an ongoing terrorism investigation, according to police.

Residents in Fallowfield posted footage of armed police close to a house on Elsmore Road on Tuesday. Some took to Twitter to report “loud explosions.”

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