British Police Report Involvement of 'Network' in Manchester Explosion

British police say that Salman Abedi, the Libyan-born suspect in the Manchester bombing, was not acting alone and was part of a network. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Salman Abedi's father and brother, who are in Libya, have been arrested by Libyan security forces. On the other hand, while Ramadan Abedi, Salman's father, told the media that his son and family have no connection to the Manchester explosion and are 'innocent,' a former Libyan security official claims that Ramadan Abedi was a member of a former group linked to al-Qaeda. The suicide bombing in Manchester occurred on Monday evening when the concert of American singer Ariana Grande had just ended and the crowd was exiting the venue; the explosion left 22 dead and 59 injured, many of whom were teenagers or children. According to Reuters, Ian Hopkins, a Manchester police official, told reporters on Wednesday that 'it is clear that a network was involved in this incident and we are investigating this matter.' So far, four individuals have been arrested in connection with the bombing as suspects, and eyewitnesses in Manchester reported a 'raid' by police on several residential complexes in central Manchester for investigations, stating that explosions were also heard during the police's entry into these complexes. Manchester police also announced that they had to temporarily close the city's railway line for investigations. The main suspect in the Manchester explosion is identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who was born in Manchester to Libyan parents. He was previously a business student but turned to extremism after dropping out. According to AFP, Ramadan Abedi, Salman's father, along with one of his sons named Hashim Abedi, who are in Libya, have now been arrested by Libyan police in connection with the Manchester bombing case. According to the Associated Press, Ramadan Abedi denied his sons' involvement in the explosion, telling reporters that he spoke to Salman five days ago and 'he was preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia and seemed normal.' Ramadan Abedi stated in an interview with the Associated Press that the police arrested his other son, Ismail, in England on Tuesday but added that 'we do not believe in killing innocents and this is not our way.' Ramadan Abedi fled to Britain in 1993 after the government of Muammar Gaddafi issued a warrant for his arrest and sought political asylum. He is currently the head of a security and protection group in Tripoli, Libya. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, Abdulbasit Haroun, a former Libyan security official, told reporters on Wednesday that he personally knows Ramadan Abedi and that he, known as Abu Ismail, was a member of an Islamist militant group in Libya in the 1990s, a group that was considered affiliated with al-Qaeda. This Islamist group has since been dissolved, but Abdulbasit Haroun emphasizes that the father of the Manchester bombing suspect belongs to the Salafi jihadist movement and is a believer in this movement. After the Manchester suicide bombing, the Islamic State (ISIS) identified him as one of their 'soldiers' and claimed responsibility for the explosion. ISIS's online media, known as 'Amaq,' also claimed in a report that this bombing was carried out 'by a security team.' Gerard Collomb, the French interior minister, who is cooperating with Britain on this case, stated that Salman Abedi's connection to ISIS has been 'established.' In this context, three other individuals have been arrested in connection with the Manchester bombing, British security forces are 'searching for accomplices' of the Manchester attacker, and the threat level in Britain has been raised. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly Manchester explosion.