The suspect has been named as Salman Abedi after a day of raids and arrests by Manchester police.
LONDON — The man who detonated a fatal bomb in the Manchester Arena on Monday night has been formally identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, British police said Tuesday.
Abedi, who police believe acted alone, killed 22 and injured at least 59 more when he detonated an improvised bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena, central Manchester, last night, where pop star Ariana Grande was performing.
Abedi died in the attack.
US media outlets CBS and NBC had identified the attacker as Abedi earlier Tuesday. The Associated Press confirmed his name shortly before 4:30 p.m. local time, citing anonymous US officials.
Abedi, also known as Salman Ramadan Abedi, is believed to have travelled to Manchester from London by train prior to the attack, Reuters reported.
The Islamic State said Tuesday that a "caliphate soldier" was responsible for the attack. Dan Coats, the director of US intelligence, said in congressional testimony Tuesday that the claim has yet to be verified.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government "would not comment on leaks" when quizzed on the US reports by British journalists in a parliamentary briefing shortly before 4 p.m. local time.
Prime Minister Theresa May said in a speech earlier that police and security services knew the identity of the attacker but would not name him at the time in order to protect the interests of the investigation.
The Telegraph newspaper reported that Abedi was born in Manchester in 1994, and is one of four children to parents who were Libyan refugees who fled to Britain at the height of the Gaddafi regime.
The newspaper reported that Abedi grew up in Whalley Range area of the city, around two miles southwest from the city center.
Three people, including an unidentified 23-year-old man, have also been arrested in south Manchester in connection with the attack. Armed police officers raided two addresses near the Chorlton area of Manchester around lunchtime, The Guardian reports.
The picture below shows forensic investigators investigating a home in the Fallowfield area of Manchester, believed to be linked to the attacker.
Those concerned about loved ones who may have been in the area during the attack can call 0800 096 0095.
This is a developing story...
The suspect has been named as Salman Abedi after a day of raids and arrests by Manchester police. Read Full Story
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