Bomber had been to Libya

THE suicide bomber who killed 22 people and maimed 59 more is the British-born son of Libyan refugees who moved to the UK to escape the Gaddafi regime.

Police named the dead bomber as Salman Abedi, a 22year-old from Manchester.

He was one of four children and was born and raised in Manchester after his parents were granted refugee status to escape the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

Police had identified him early in the investigation and are working to determine if he acted alone.

And it was reported he had only recently returned from a three-week trip to Libya days before the bombing.

A 23-year-old was also arrested, but police have refused to give any details.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins revealed Abedi’s identity but would give no further details.

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

Police blew open the door to Abedi’s home in Elsmore Rd at Fallowfield, south Manchester on Tuesday.

Officers carried out bags of potential evidence, including a handbook called Know Your Chemicals.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, describing Abedi as a soldier of the Caliphate.

However it is not yet known if he was closely connected, or if he acted in its name when he carried out his atrocity.

There were reports yesterday he may have spent time in a Middle East conflict zone, where he may have received terrorist training.

Forensic officers are picking through the remnants of the nail bomb to determine who made it.