Britain arrests two more in probe of Manchester bombing network

BRITISH police said they arrested two more people during raids yesterday in connection with the suicide bombing at a Manchester concert, with a “large part” of the network behind the attack now being held.

The two men, aged 20 and 22, were arrested in north Manchester early yesterday after police gained entry to an address using a controlled explosion.

The arrests bring to 11 the number of suspects held in Britain over Monday’s blast at a concert by US pop idol Ariana Grande, in which 22 people died and 116 were injured, and for which the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

Police in Libya have detained the father and brother of 22-year-old bomber Salman Abedi.

Mark Rowley, head of Britain’s counter-terrorism police, said on Friday that police had captured “a large part of the network” linked to the atrocity in which seven children aged under 18 were among the 22 dead.

“We are very happy we’ve got our hands around some of the key players that we are concerned about but there’s still a little bit more to do,” he said.

Britain’s terror threat assessment has been raised to “critical”, the highest level, meaning an attack is considered imminent.

Armed police were on patrol over the holiday weekend, with security increased at football’s showpiece FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London yesterday.

The bombing was the latest in a series of IS-claimed attacks in Europe that have coincided with an offensive on the jihadist group in Syria and Iraq by US, British and other Western forces. — AFP