British police and intelligence agencies yesterday arrested three more suspects in connection with Monday night’s Manchester suicide bombing and moved quickly to secure key sites across the country, including Buckingham Palace and the British parliament.
British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the bomber, identified as British-born Salman Abedi, “likely” did not act alone when he killed 22 people and wounded dozens at an Ariana Grande concert. She said he had been known to security forces “`up to a point.”
Officials are examining Abedi’s trips to Libya as they piece together his allegiances and try to foil any new potential threats.
Photo: AP
Police said three men were arrested yesterday in south Manchester, where a day earlier a 23-year-old man was also arrested and a number of homes were searched.
Britain raised its threat level from terrorism to “critical” after an emergency government meeting late on Tuesday amid concerns that the 22-year-old Abedi may have accomplices who are planning another attack.
Soldiers have been deployed in place of police officers to guard high-profile sites such as Buckingham Palace and parliament.
Photo: Reuters
The changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace was canceled yesterday so police officers can be redeployed, the British Ministry of Defense said.
The Palace of Westminster, which houses the parliament, was also closed yesterday to all those without passes, and tours and events there were canceled until further notice.
Officials said 984 soldiers were deployed yesterday in London and in other locations.
Abedi was born in Britain to a Libyan family, grew up in Manchester’s southern suburbs and attended Salford University for a time. Police on Tuesday raided his house, using a controlled explosion to blast down the door.
British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday chaired a meeting of her emergency security Cabinet group to talk about intelligence reports on Abedi and concerns that he might have had outside support.
Police also raided and searched a property elsewhere in Manchester where Abedi’s brother, Ismail, is thought to have lived.
French Minister of the Interior Gerard Collomb yesterday said Abedi is believed to have traveled to Syria and had “proven” links with the Islamic State group.
Collomb said on BFM television that British and French intelligence have information that Abedi had been to Syria. He did not elaborate, but said it is unclear whether Abedi was part of a larger network of attackers.
Rudd said Britain’s increased official threat level will remain at “critical” as the investigation proceeds and will not be lowered until security services are convinced there is no active plot in place.
She also complained about US officials leaking sensitive information about Abedi to the media, even before British officials had released his name.
Rudd said Britain’s operational security could be harmed by the leaks, taking “the element of surprise” away from security services.
“I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again,”’ she said.
In addition to those killed in the concert attack, Manchester officials raised to 119 the number of people who sought medical treatment after the attack, including those who traveled to hospitals on their own.
Sixty-four people are still hospitalized, Jon Rouse of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership said yesterday.
In Taipei, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday sent her condolences to the victims of the attack.
“On behalf of the people of Taiwan, we send condolences and sympathies to all the victims of (the) horrific attack in Manchester,” Tsai wrote in a Twitter message.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) also met with British Representative to Taiwan Catherine Nettleton to express the condolences of the president and the nation’s people to the victims of the attack and the British people.
Additional reporting by CNA
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