ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Manchester Explosion

One day after a suicide bombing near a concert hall in Manchester, northern Britain, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the explosion. According to Reuters, ISIS announced in a statement that the explosion was carried out using an explosive device that had been planted at the concert site. ISIS stated, "One of the soldiers of the caliphate managed to place an explosive device among a crowd of crusaders in the city of Manchester." The group claimed that the attack was conducted "for the vengeance of the religion of Allah and to intimidate the infidels and retaliate against their attacks on Islamic lands" and threatened that more attacks are on the way. ISIS's online media outlet, known as 'Amaq', also reported that this bombing was carried out "by a security team." The explosion occurred on Monday evening when the concert of American singer Ariana Grande had just ended and the crowd was exiting the venue. The blast left 22 dead and 59 injured, many of whom were teenagers or children. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, Manchester police reported that on Tuesday, a 23-year-old man was arrested in southern Manchester in connection with the explosion. The Greater Manchester Police did not provide further details regarding the arrest or the identity of the detained individual. On the same day, it was also reported that police arrested a man in a shopping center called 'Arndale' in central Manchester, but it was stated that this arrest was not related to the explosion on Monday. Following the Manchester incident, British politicians announced that they would suspend the upcoming election campaign until further notice.