Alleged bomber called mom for forgiveness
After questioning family, Libyan investigators believe U.K. attacker acted alone
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND— A Libyan anti-terror official says the alleged Manchester bomber phoned his mother hours before the deadly concert attack and said “forgive me.”
British officials have said the attack was carried out by British-born Salman Abedi, whose family is from Libya.
Special Deterrent Force spokesperson Ahmed bin Salem said Thursday that Salman Abedi’s mother and three of his siblings in Libya were summoned for questioning.
Abedi died in the bombing that claimed the lives of 22 other people and injured more than 100 as they left a concert.
Bin Salem said the mother told interrogators that her 22-year-old son left Libya for England only four days before the bombing and called her on the same day of the attack.
“He was giving farewell,” Bin Salem said.
Another sibling, 18-year-old brother Hashim, and Abedi’s father were arrested in Tripoli on Wednesday. Bin Salem said Libyan investigators think, based on what Hashim Abedi told them, “the bomber acted alone.”
He says the brother told them that Salman learned how to make explosives on the Internet and wanted to “seek victory for the Islamic State.”
Home searches across Manchester uncovered important items for the investigation into the concert bombing, Manchester’s police chief announced Thursday.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the eight suspects detained so far were “significant” arrests and said the searches will take several more days to complete.
Police have raided multiple addresses in the northwestern city since Tuesday and those arrested include Abedi’s brother Ismail.
Hopkins did not elaborate on the material that has been found so far.
Meanwhile, a British official told The Associated Press that police in Manchester have decided to stop sharing information about their investigation with the U.S. until they get a guarantee that there will be no more leaks to the media. President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned “leaks of sensitive information,” responding to a complaint by British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,” Trump said in a statement. “These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security.”
Trump, in Brussels, ignored two questions from journalists on whether Britain can trust the U.S. with sensitive information.
Queen Elizabeth, meanwhile, visited Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to talk to some of the bombing victims, their families and the medical staff treating them.
She chatted and shook hands with hospital staff, and told the father of another injured teenager at the hospital: “It’s not something you expect at all.”
In addition to those killed, 116 people have received medical treatment at Manchester hospitals for wounds from the blast.
The National Health Service says 75 people have been admitted to eight hospitals, “including 23 patients currently receiving critical care.”
The Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs announced they have jointly pledged £1 million ($1.73 million) to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.