Man arrested over IRA Manchester bombing
Police detain suspect at Birmingham Airport after he landed on British soil for the first time in years
‘We are determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time passed’
A MAN has been arrested in connection with the 1996 IRA bombing of Manchester city centre.
The suspect was detained by officers at Birmingham Airport on Thursday evening by specialist counter terrorism officers. He was taken into custody where he was due to be interviewed on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to the attack 26 years ago.
The bomb, which was the biggest device detonated in Britain since the Second World War, was planted by the Provisional IRA and went off on the morning of Saturday June 15 1996 when thousands of people were in the city centre shopping, including at the Arndale centre.
The terrorists gave a 90 minute warning and more than 70,000 people were evacuated from the area.
While there were no fatalities, more than 200 people were injured and an estimated £700million worth of damage was caused.
Nobody was ever charged in connection with the attack. On the tenth anniversary, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) admitted it was unlikely those responsible would be brought to justice.
In a statement, Det Supt Andrew Meeks, head of investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said officers were still working on the case and had recently been pursuing new lines of inquiry.
It is understood police took the opportunity to arrest the suspect, who lives overseas, when he landed on British soil for the first time in a number of years.
Mr Meeks said: “Although thankfully no one was killed during the 1996 Manchester bombing by the IRA, hundreds of people were left with injuries – many of which were life changing – and many more across Greater Manchester and the North West were affected by what happened on that day.
“We have always been committed to holding those responsible for the attack to account and bringing them to justice, and have been reinvestigating for several years with a team of dedicated detectives re-examining the original case files and pursuing new lines of inquiry.
“Following the arrest, we have contacted individuals who were victims of this horrific attack to ensure that they’re updated, as we know for many people this will bring back memories of that terrible day and we are doing all we can to support our communities and those who were affected.”
He added: “We remain determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time passed and would still encourage anyone who has any information that could assist our enquiries to get in touch via the Major Incident Portal.”