Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Manchester Suspect Returned from Libya ‘Days’ before Attack | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55374949
Caption:

Salman Abedi, 22, the suicide bomber who killed 22 people after an Ariana Grande concert.


London- British and French interior ministry sources revealed on Wednesday that the suspect of Manchester suicide bombing Salman Abedi, 22, moved between two Arab states before returning to the United Kingdom – French Interior Ministry said that the bomber most probably traveled to Syria that is witnessing a bloody conflict and had tight links with ISIS terrorist group.

However, fundamentalist sources in Manchester told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abedi traveled to Libya for three weeks and returned to the UK days before carrying out the suicide bombing – the sources added that his father most probably resides in Libya.

They added that Manchester has been hosting since years huge communities of Libyan Islamists including a prominent suspect of belonging to al-Qaeda, Abu Anas al-Libi.

Abu Anas, whose real name is Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, was granted the right to seek asylum in the UK in 2005 despite rumors of being involved in the bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998, killing 224 people.

He died in 2016 in a hospital in New York days before his trial for terrorism accusations.

Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins stressed that now more than ever it is necessary that various communities in Manchester unite and reject hatred.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted Manchester Arena whose attendees were mostly teenagers – 22 were killed including children.

Asked about reports that Abedi had recently returned from Libya, British Interior Minister Amber Rudd said she believed that had now been confirmed.