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Police Investigate ‘Network’ of Salman Abedi, Manchester Bomber
Police Step Up Search for Co-Conspirators in Manchester Bombing
(about 4 hours later)
MANCHESTER, England — He was a fan of Manchester United, like many in his soccer-obsessed hometown. He smoked pot. He lost a friend to violence last year. He recently dropped out of college. Last month he went to Libya to visit his parents, who had moved back there after two decades in Britain.
MANCHESTER, England — The police accelerated their hunt Wednesday for co-plotters of the Manchester concert bombing, making at least a half-dozen arrests in Britain, searching for a possible clandestine bomb factory and extending the investigation to Libya, where two of the bomber’s relatives were detained.
A portrait of Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old who carried out Britain’s deadliest terrorist attack since 2005, began to come into focus on Wednesday as the police raced to track down what they called his “network,” in the first official confirmation that investigators believe Mr. Abedi had received help.
The developments indicated that the bomber, Salman Abedi, 22, was part of a wider and more sophisticated plot than was initially thought and that finding the bomb’s origins had now become a priority in a country still reeling from the terrorist attack, the worst in Britain in more than a decade.
On Monday night, Mr. Abedi detonated a powerful bomb as fans were leaving a pop concert by the American singer Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena. The explosion killed 22 people, including a police officer and an 8-year-old girl, and wounded 64 others; 20 were still listed in critical condition on Wednesday.
New details about the bomb, based on forensic photographs from the blast site, showed it may have been hidden in a blue backpack, had been made with cunning care to inflict horrific shrapnel damage, and had even been equipped with a backup detonation system.
“It seems likely — possible — that he wasn’t doing this on his own,” Britain’s home secretary, Amber Rudd, said on Wednesday morning. Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police later confirmed that “this is a network that we are investigating.” He added: “There’s an extensive investigation going on, and activity taking place across Greater Manchester as we speak.”
A portrait of Mr. Abedi also came into focus, showing him to be a Manchester United fan, a college dropout and an occasional marijuana smoker who had visited his family in Libya last month, returned to Manchester as recently as last week, and may have been radicalized two years ago.
Indeed, minutes before he spoke, the police were raiding a house in the city center. Four men were arrested on Wednesday — three in the city center and one in Wigan, a town to the northwest — bringing the total number of people in custody to five, including Mr. Abedi’s older brother.
These details of his life emerged as the police sought what they called his “network” — the first official confirmation that investigators believed Mr. Abedi had help.
In Libya, Mr. Abedi’s father was arrested by a militia, the Special Deterrence Forces, which said it had also detained Mr. Abedi’s younger brother, Hashem Abedi, 20.
“It seems likely — possible — that he wasn’t doing this on his own,” said Britain’s home secretary, Amber Rudd. Speaking to the BBC, she also said the bomb “was more sophisticated than some of the attacks we’ve seen before.”
In a Facebook post, the militia, which operates out of a former American military base, said that Hashem Abedi had been a member of the Islamic State, had been involved with the Manchester plot, and was en route to withdrawing 4,500 Libyan dinars (about $560) sent by Salman Abedi when he was arrested on Tuesday night by the militia. The militia also said that the younger brother traveled from Britain to Libya on April 16, and that he had been in daily contact by phone with Salman Abedi since then. The militia also said the younger brother was planning a new attack, in Tripoli.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police said, “There’s an extensive investigation going on, and activity taking place across greater Manchester.”
The militia’s claims about the younger brother could not be immediately verified. The militia is affiliated with the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord, one of three administrations vying for control of Libya, but it has been accused by human rights groups of abusing prisoners under its control.
Mr. Abedi detonated the bomb Monday night as fans were leaving a pop concert by the American singer Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena. The explosion killed 22 people, including a police officer and an 8-year-old girl. The bomber’s remains were found at the scene, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
In addition to the younger brother, the authorities were pursuing many leads. The BBC reported on Wednesday that officials said they believed Mr. Abedi had been a “mule,” carrying a bomb made by someone else. Officials also said they were looking into Mr. Abedi’s relationship with Raphael Hostey, a British recruiter for the Islamic State who is believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Syria last year.
At least 64 people were wounded, a third of them critically. Many victims were teenagers and young girls, with parents in tow, who idolized Ms. Grande.
Officials were still trying to find the “factory” where the bomb was produced and to discern whether Mr. Abedi had received help assembling the device, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the secrecy surrounding the investigation.
She officially canceled all concerts on her “Dangerous Woman” European tour through June 5 and asked fans to support “all those families affected by this cowardice and senseless act of violence.”
Also, officials were looking into reports that people who knew Mr. Abedi — including an imam at his mosque — had contacted the authorities as early as two years ago with concerns that he had become radicalized.
The race to find co-conspirators and the place where the bomb had been made appeared to be the main reasons behind the British government’s decision Tuesday to raise the terrorist threat warning to critical, its highest level since 2007, over fears that more bombs could be detonated in crowded places.
Even as the investigation unfolded at an intense pace, Britain was put on the highest possible state of alert — critical, meaning that another attack “may be imminent” — for the first time since 2007. Public tours of Parliament were called off until further notice, and the guard-changing ceremony at Buckingham Palace, long a favorite of tourists, was canceled. Soldiers were deployed to vital locations, including Downing Street, the home and office of the prime minister, and foreign embassies. Britain will observe a minute of silence at 11 a.m. on Thursday for the victims.
The police arrested five men and one woman in the Manchester area — bringing the total number of people in British custody to seven, including Mr. Abedi’s older brother.
Manchester, a city of half a million and the hub of Britain’s second-largest metropolitan region, is home to a sizable community of people of Libyan descent, many of whom fled the regime of the longtime dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in the 1980s. The violent overthrow of Colonel Qaddafi in 2011 during the tumult of the Arab Spring created a power vacuum in which the Islamic State and other extremist groups have gained support.
In Libya, Mr. Abedi’s father was arrested by a militia, the Special Deterrence Forces, which said it also had detained Mr. Abedi’s younger brother, Hashem Abedi, 20.
Many of the Libyan expatriates clustered in Manchester, creating one of the largest Libyan communities outside Libya, according to Nazir Afzal, who until 2015 was the chief prosecutor for northwest England, based in the city.
In a Facebook post, the militia said that Hashem Abedi had been a member of the Islamic State, was tied to the Manchester plot and was en route to withdrawing 4,500 Libyan dinars (about $560 on the black market) sent by the bomber when he was arrested on Tuesday night by the militia.
Among them was the Abedi family, who moved in 1993 to Britain. Salman was born there a year later.
The militia said that Hashem Abedi had traveled from Britain to Libya on April 16, that he had been planning an attack in Tripoli and that he had been in daily contact by phone with his older brother.
Reached by phone on Wednesday, Ramadan Abedi, the father, expressed shock and denial.
The militia’s claims about the younger brother could not be immediately verified. The militia is affiliated with the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord, one of three administrations vying for control of Libya, but it has been accused by human rights groups of abusing prisoners.
“I don’t believe that it was him,” he said of Salman. “His ideas and his ideology were not like that. He was born and raised in Britain. He’s a British citizen and he does not hold such ideologies.”
Besides the younger brother, the authorities were pursuing many leads. The BBC reported that officials believed Salman Abedi may have been a “mule,” carrying a bomb made by someone else. The officials also said they were looking into Mr. Abedi’s relationship with Raphael Hostey, a British recruiter for the Islamic State believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Syria last year.
In Washington, a senior American official said Mr. Abedi had links to a radical preacher in Libya identified as Abdul Ghwela, whose son had joined the Islamic State in Libya and had died fighting in Benghazi. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose intelligence information, said Mr. Abedi had not left Libya until May 17.
In addition, officials were looking into reports that people who knew Mr. Abedi — including an imam at his mosque — had contacted the authorities as early as 2015 with concerns that he may have been recruited by extremists.
The heightened warning of additional, possibly imminent attacks was visible nationwide. The government suspended public tours of Parliament and canceled the guard-changing ceremony at Buckingham Palace, a tourist favorite. Soldiers patrolled locations including Downing Street, where the home and office of the prime minister are, and foreign embassies.
Manchester, a city of half a million and the hub of Britain’s second-largest metropolitan region, is home to a sizable community of people of Libyan descent. Many fled the regime of the longtime dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in the 1980s. The violent overthrow of Colonel Qaddafi in 2011 during the tumult of the Arab Spring created a power vacuum, and the Islamic State and other extremist groups have since gained support.
Many Libyan expatriates are clustered in Manchester, creating one of the largest Libyan communities outside Libya, according to Nazir Afzal, who until 2015 was the chief prosecutor for northwest England, based in the city.
Among them was the Abedi family, which moved to Britain in 1993. Salman Abedi was born there a year later.
Reached by phone in Libya on Wednesday, Ramadan Abedi, his father, expressed shock and denied that his son was the bomber.
“I don’t believe that it was him,” he said. “His ideas and his ideology were not like that.”
Mr. Abedi confirmed that his son had been distressed by the murder of a friend, Abdul Wahab Hafidah, in May 2016 at the hands of suspected gang members. But he said it did not drive him toward radicalism.
Mr. Abedi confirmed that his son had been distressed by the murder of a friend, Abdul Wahab Hafidah, in May 2016 at the hands of suspected gang members. But he said it did not drive him toward radicalism.
“Yes, a friend of his was killed by the gangs of Manchester, but that doesn’t mean that he carried out an attack for it,” Mr. Abedi said.
The father’s account was contradicted by several people who knew the family, including one quoted by the BBC who said Salman Abedi had expressed approval of suicide bombers a few years ago, leading neighbors to call an antiterrorism hotline.
However, the father’s account was contradicted by several people who knew the family. The BBC quoted a resident, who was not identified, as saying that neighbors called an antiterrorism hotline a few years ago, concerned that Salman Abedi had expressed the view that “being a suicide bomber was O.K.” That resident also said that Mr. Abedi had smoked marijuana and socialized with gang members.
The French interior minister, Gérard Collomb, said on Wednesday that Mr. Abedi had “most likely” gone to Syria and that he had “proven” links to the Islamic State.
In addition, the French interior minister, Gérard Collomb, said on Wednesday that Mr. Abedi had “most likely” gone to Syria and had “proven” links to the Islamic State. The father said he had no knowledge of such a trip.
Mr. Abedi’s parents, who moved back to Libya after Colonel Qaddafi’s downfall, had become worried about their son’s radicalization, and they had even seized his British passport, according to a friend in Manchester who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.
Mr. Abedi’s parents in Libya had become worried about his radicalization, and they had even seized his British passport, according to a friend in Manchester who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.
Mr. Abedi had told his parents that he wanted to visit the holy city of Mecca, so they returned his passport. But instead he returned home, the friend said.
Mr. Abedi had told his parents that he wanted to visit the holy city of Mecca, so they returned his passport. But instead of flying to Saudi Arabia, he returned home, the friend said.
The father denied that account. “He was a man and I trust the man that he was,” he said. A short while later, the father was arrested in Tripoli, according to the same Islamist militia that announced the younger brother’s arrest.
The father denied that account. “I did not take his passport,” he said. “He was a man and I trust the man that he was. That’s why I let him do what he wanted.”
A number of Libyans from Manchester have waged jihad abroad, according to Raffaello Pantucci, a terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. The Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had a contingent in Manchester, Mr. Pantucci said. And in 2010 and 2011, as the anti-Qaddafi uprising in Libya intensified, a number of Libyan-Britons left Manchester for Libya as foreign fighters, he said. More recently, he said, a cluster left for Syria.
The father said he had yet to be contacted by the British security services over the bombing — and he challenged them to prove that his son was responsible. “Why have they not called me, the British government?” he asked. “They surely have my phone number.”
In Fallowfield, a neighborhood south of the Manchester city center, residents recalled Mr. Abedi as quiet, respectful and passionate about soccer, often wearing a T-shirt with a Manchester United emblem.
A short while later, Ramadan Abedi was arrested in Tripoli, according to the Islamist militia, which also announced the younger brother’s arrest.
Officials at the Manchester Islamic Center, also known as Didsbury Mosque, where the Abedi family worshiped, have condemned the attack, but declined to talk about the family.
Several waves of Libyans from Manchester have waged jihad abroad, according to Raffaello Pantucci, a terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. The Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had a contingent in Manchester, Mr. Pantucci said. And in 2010 and 2011, when the war against Colonel Qaddafi intensified, a number of Libyan-Britons left Manchester for Libya as foreign fighters, he said. More recently, a cluster left for Syria, he said.
“The horrific atrocity that occurred in Manchester on Monday night has shocked us all,” a mosque trustee, Fawzi Haffar, told reporters.
In Fallowfield, a neighborhood south of the Manchester city center, residents recalled Mr. Abedi as a quiet and respectful young man who showed a passion and aptitude for soccer as a boy and, as a child, often wore a T-shirt with the emblem of Manchester United, one of the city’s renowned soccer teams.
In 2015, according to a neighbor who spoke on the condition of anonymity over concerns about safety, an imam at the mosque, Mohammed Saeed, delivered a sermon condemning terrorism for political causes. The sermon prompted a heated discussion among congregants and some, including Mr. Abedi, objected to it.
Officials at the Manchester Islamic Center, also known as Didsbury Mosque, where the Abedi family worshiped, have condemned the attack, but declined to talk about the family, except to deny reports that Salman Abedi had once worked there. The father, who goes by the honorific Abu Ismail, occasionally issued the call to prayer there.
“He was angry,” the neighbor said. “He scared some people.”
“The horrific atrocity that occurred in Manchester on Monday night has shocked us all,” a mosque trustee, Fawzi Haffar, told reporters. “It has indeed shocked us all. This act of cowardice has no place in our religion or any other religion for that matter.”
In 2015, according to a neighbor who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about safety, an imam at the mosque, Mohammed Saeed, delivered a sermon condemning terrorism and murder carried out in the name of a political cause. The sermon prompted a heated discussion among congregants, some of whom signed a petition taking issue with it, according to the neighbor.
“He was angry,” the neighbor said of Mr. Abedi. “He scared some people.”
However, a senior member of the Libyan Youth Association, a community group in Manchester, said the sermon was controversial not because it criticized the Islamic State but because it praised Khalifa Haftar, a Libyan military commander who was involved in the 2011 revolution. The association member, who declined to be identified because of safety concerns, added that he did not know if Salman Abedi had been involved in the dispute.
Recently, according to several people who know the family, Mr. Abedi dropped out of the University of Salford, in Greater Manchester, where he had been studying business administration.
Many in the Libyan community in Manchester who, like Mr. Abedi’s parents, have returned since Colonel Qaddafi was ousted, spoke of the abundance of extremist messages being spread around young people there. “He would have been radicalized there and then brought it back to Manchester,” the neighbor said.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack but did not describe Mr. Abedi’s links to the network. In several past terrorist assaults, extremists traveled to Syria from Europe for indoctrination and training.
Ms. Rudd, speaking to the BBC, said on Wednesday that the bomb “was more sophisticated than some of the attacks we’ve seen before.” Mr. Abedi appeared to have carried a powerful explosive in a lightweight metal container concealed either within a black vest or a blue Karrimor backpack, and to have held a small detonator in his left hand.
