British police hunt possible bomb-maker, accomplices after Manchester bombing - sources
British police hunt possible bomb-maker, accomplices after Manchester bombing - sources, British police hunted on Wednesday for potential accomplices who may have helped Salman Abedi build the bomb that killed 22 people in a crowded concert hall in Manchester and who could be ready to kill again.
As police tried to piece together the British-born Abedi's past, Prime Minister Theresa May said security officials had raised their assessment of the threat to Britain to "critical," indicating an attack was imminent.
Part of that threat assessment is the fear that Abedi, who blew himself up in the bomb attack, could have been working as part of a group with possible links to militants who have the competence to plot and execute suicide bombings.
Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters it was very clear they were investigating what he called "a network." He declined to give further details on the investigation.
Police have so far announced five arrests and Abedi's home was raided by special forces about 12 hours after the suicide attack. His brother, Ismail, was among those arrested.
One of the five was carrying a package when he was arrested in the town of Wigan, 17 miles (27 km) to the west of Manchester city center, police said.
A Libyan counter-terrorism force on Tuesday evening arrested Abedi's younger brother, Hashem Abedi, in the capital Tripoli on suspicion of links with Islamic State, a force spokesman told Reuters in Libya.
