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On the evening of 22 May 2017, a [[bombing]] occurred at the [[Manchester Arena]] in [[Manchester]], England, at the end of an [[Ariana Grande]] concert, killing 23 people (including the perpetrator) and injuring 59. A lone male was reported to have carried out the attack, thought to have been a [[Suicide attack|suicide bombing]] using an [[improvised explosive device]]. Police were called to the scene of the bombing at 22:33 local time, along with medical personnel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40008389|title=Manchester attack: What we know so far|date=23 May 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref> Investigators are trying to determine if it was a [[Lone wolf (terrorism)|lone wolf]] terror attack,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vocativ.com/432183/isis-claims-deadly-ariana-grande-concert-bombing-that-killed-22/|title=ISIS Claims Deadly Ariana Grande Concert Bombing That Killed 22|date=23 May 2017|work=Vocativ|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> although the police and [[MI5]] assume that the attacker could not have been acting alone, making it likely that the bomber was part of a [[terror cell]].<ref name="Times O'Neill">{{cite news|last1=O'Neill|first1=Sean|title=Was Manchester terrorist linked to jihadists returning from Syria?|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/this-was-no-lone-wolf-attack-he-must-have-had-help-6fr6gbvmr|accessdate=23 May 2017|work=The Times|subscription=y|date=23 May 2017|language=en}}</ref>
On the evening of 22 May 2017, a [[bombing]] occurred at the [[Manchester Arena]] in [[Manchester]], England, at the end of an [[Ariana Grande]] concert, killing 23 people (including the perpetrator) and injuring 59. A lone male was reported to have carried out the attack, thought to have been a [[Suicide attack|suicide bombing]] using an [[improvised explosive device]]. Police were called to the scene of the bombing at 22:33 local time, along with medical personnel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40008389|title=Manchester attack: What we know so far|date=23 May 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref> Investigators are trying to determine if it was a [[Lone wolf (terrorism)|lone wolf]] terror attack,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vocativ.com/432183/isis-claims-deadly-ariana-grande-concert-bombing-that-killed-22/|title=ISIS Claims Deadly Ariana Grande Concert Bombing That Killed 22|date=23 May 2017|work=Vocativ|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> although the police and [[MI5]] assume that the attacker could not have been acting alone, making it likely that the bomber was part of a [[terror cell]].<ref name="Times O'Neill">{{cite news|last1=O'Neill|first1=Sean|title=Was Manchester terrorist linked to jihadists returning from Syria?|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/this-was-no-lone-wolf-attack-he-must-have-had-help-6fr6gbvmr|accessdate=23 May 2017|work=The Times|subscription=y|date=23 May 2017|language=en}}</ref>


It is the deadliest attack of its kind{{Clarify|reason=What does "of its kind" mean?|date=May 2017}} since the [[al-Qaeda]]-directed [[7 July 2005 London bombings|7/7 bombings]], and the first time terrorists have successfully used explosives in Britain since then.<ref name="Times O'Neill" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dodd|first1=Vikram|last2=Pidd|first2=Helen|last3=Rawlinson|first3=Kevin|last4=Siddique|first4=Haroon|last5=MacAskill|first5=Ewen|title=At least 22 dead, 59 injured in suicide attack at Manchester Arena|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/22/manchester-arena-police-explosion-ariana-grande-concert-england|accessdate=23 May 2017|work=The Guardian|date=23 May 2017}}</ref>
It is the deadliest terror attack since the [[al-Qaeda]]-directed [[7 July 2005 London bombings|7/7 bombings]], and the first time Islamist terrorists have successfully used explosives in Britain since.<ref name="Times O'Neill" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dodd|first1=Vikram|last2=Pidd|first2=Helen|last3=Rawlinson|first3=Kevin|last4=Siddique|first4=Haroon|last5=MacAskill|first5=Ewen|title=At least 22 dead, 59 injured in suicide attack at Manchester Arena|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/22/manchester-arena-police-explosion-ariana-grande-concert-england|accessdate=23 May 2017|work=The Guardian|date=23 May 2017}}</ref>


==Attack==
==Attack==

Revision as of 16:20, 23 May 2017

2017 Manchester Arena bombing
The exterior of the Manchester Arena (then the Manchester Evening News Arena) in 2010
Manchester Arena bombing is located in Greater Manchester
Manchester Arena
Manchester Arena
Manchester Arena bombing (Greater Manchester)
Manchester Arena bombing is located in the United Kingdom
Manchester Arena bombing
Manchester Arena bombing (the United Kingdom)
Manchester Arena bombing is located in Europe
Manchester Arena bombing
Manchester Arena bombing (Europe)
LocationManchester, England
Coordinates53°29′17″N 2°14′38″W / 53.48806°N 2.24389°W / 53.48806; -2.24389
Date22 May 2017 (2017-05-22)
22:33 (BST)
TargetConcertgoers
Attack type
Suicide bombing
WeaponsSuspected improvised explosive device[1]
Deaths23 (including the perpetrator)[2]
Injured59
MotiveSuspected Terrorism

On the evening of 22 May 2017, a bombing occurred at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 23 people (including the perpetrator) and injuring 59. A lone male was reported to have carried out the attack, thought to have been a suicide bombing using an improvised explosive device. Police were called to the scene of the bombing at 22:33 local time, along with medical personnel.[3] Investigators are trying to determine if it was a lone wolf terror attack,[4] although the police and MI5 assume that the attacker could not have been acting alone, making it likely that the bomber was part of a terror cell.[5]

It is the deadliest terror attack since the al-Qaeda-directed 7/7 bombings, and the first time Islamist terrorists have successfully used explosives in Britain since.[5][6]

Attack

On 22 May 2017, at approximately 22:30 BST (UTC+01:00),[7] an explosion occurred in the foyer area of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, after an Ariana Grande concert that was part of her Dangerous Woman Tour.[8][9] Up to 18,000 people could have attended the concert.[10] Many of the attendees were exiting through the foyer at the time of the explosion.[11]

Greater Manchester Police declared the incident a terrorist attack, claiming it to have been a suicide bombing.[12] It is the second terrorist attack in Britain in 2017 after the 22 March Westminster attack, and the deadliest terrorist attack in Britain since the 7 July 2005 London bombings.[13]

Casualties

Police stated that 23 people, including the suicide bomber, were killed in the blast and 59 others injured, including children.[14][15] North West Ambulance Service reported that 60 of its ambulances attended the scene, escorting 59 people to local hospitals and treating a number of walking wounded on site.[16] Grande was not near the location of the attack and was not hurt during the incident.[17] Of the injured, 12 are reported to be children under the age of 16.[18]

Attacker

According to police, the attack was carried out using a self-detonated improvised explosive device by a 23-year-old lone male, who was known to police.[12]

Aftermath

At approximately 01:32 BST, a subsequent controlled explosion was conducted by police on a suspicious item in Cathedral Gardens.[12] The item was later found to be clothing that had been left behind.

Residents and taxi companies in Manchester offered free transport or accommodation via Twitter to those left stranded at the concert.[11] Parents of children attending the concert were separated in the aftermath of the explosion. A nearby hotel served as a shelter for children displaced by the bombing, with separated parents being directed there by officials.[19]

Manchester Victoria railway station, which is partly underneath the arena, was evacuated and closed, and services were cancelled. Victoria remained closed into the following day.[8][17]

The day after the attack, a 23-year-old male[20] was arrested in South Manchester in connection with the attack.[21]

Later, the Islamist terror group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack,[22][23] describing the attacker as "a soldier of the Khilafah".[24] Police and investigators determined the identity of the attacker to be Salman Abedi.[25][26][27]

Reactions

Domestic

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, called the incident an "appalling terrorist attack" and chaired a meeting of COBRA the next morning,[28] while Queen Elizabeth II expressed her "deepest sympathy" to those affected by this "dreadful event".[29]

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, called the incident "an evil act". Burnham paid tribute to locals and businesses who had supported the victims.[30] He later announced a vigil to be held in Albert Square the following evening.[10] The morning after the attack, London's mayor Sadiq Khan stated that his city "stands united with the great city of Manchester today," and later stated that "Londoners will see more police on our streets today."[31]

Political columnist Katie Hopkins was accused of calling for ethnic cleansing of the UK's Muslim population in a tweet after the explosion, asking for a "final solution".[32][33][34]

Campaigning for the general election by all parties was suspended.[35][36]

The Muslim Council of Britain strongly condemned the attack.[37][38]

International

Condolences were expressed by the leaders and governments of over two dozen countries.[39]

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, offered his "profound sympathy" and condolences to the victims and their family, and that he "hopes that those who are responsible for this despicable attack will be swiftly found and bought to justice".[40]

Commonwealth of Nations Secretary-General Patricia Scotland condemned "in the strongest terms this attack on teenagers and young children who had simply ventured out to enjoy an evening of music." She went on to praise first responders and others who offered assistance to the victims.[41]

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed "great sadness and profound shock", adding that "once again, terrorism has sought to instil[sic] fear where there should be joy".[42]

Pope Francis expressed that he was "deeply saddened" by the "injury and tragic loss of life", and invoked "God's blessings of peace, healing, and strength upon the nation."[43]

Ariana Grande posted on her official Twitter account: "Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don't have words."[44] Her management team added that they "mourn the lives of children and loved ones taken by this cowardly act".[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ At least 22 dead, 50 injured, in suicide bomb attack at Manchester Arena, The Guardian
  2. ^ "Greater Manchester Police". www.gmp.police.uk.
  3. ^ "Manchester attack: What we know so far". BBC News. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. ^ "ISIS Claims Deadly Ariana Grande Concert Bombing That Killed 22". Vocativ. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  5. ^ a b O'Neill, Sean (23 May 2017). "Was Manchester terrorist linked to jihadists returning from Syria?". The Times. Retrieved 23 May 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Dodd, Vikram; Pidd, Helen; Rawlinson, Kevin; Siddique, Haroon; MacAskill, Ewen (23 May 2017). "At least 22 dead, 59 injured in suicide attack at Manchester Arena". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Fans criticise Manchester Arena security after terror attack at Ariana Grande concert". 23 May 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Deaths confirmed after Manchester Arena blast reports". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  9. ^ CBS/AP 22 May 2017, 6:46 PM. "Police: "Confirmed fatalities" after reports of explosion at Manchester Arena". CBS News. Retrieved 22 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ a b "Manchester Arena explosion: Latest updates". BBC News. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  11. ^ a b Malkin, Bonnie (22 May 2017). "Manchester attack: city mobilises to help concert-goers with offers of rooms and free rides". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  12. ^ a b c "Manchester Arena attack: 22 dead and 59 hurt". BBC News. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  13. ^ Danny Boyle, Barney Henderson, Leon Watson - Live Manchester Arena attack: 22 killed at Ariana Grande concert as bomber named as Salman Abedi - The Telegraph. May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  14. ^ Samantha Beech & Darran Simon. "Manchester Arena attack: 22 dead after blast at Ariana Grande concert". CNN. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  15. ^ Mike Bambach. "British police: 22 dead after suicide bomber attack at Ariana Grande concert". United Press International. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  16. ^ (now), Claire Phipps; (earlier), Kevin Rawlinson (23 May 2017). "Manchester Arena: children among 22 dead in suicide attack at Ariana Grande concert – latest". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Deaths, injuries after reports of explosion at Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena: Police". ABC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Manchester attack: 22 dead and 59 hurt in suicide bombing". 23 May 2017 – via www.bbc.com.
  19. ^ Smith, Rory; Chan, Sewell (23 May 2017). "Explosion, Panic and Death at Ariana Grande Concert in England". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  20. ^ scribeofsolomonsays:. "UK Police Arrest Man In Connection With Deadly Blast At Ariana Grande Concert In Manchester".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  21. ^ Pesic, Alex (23 May 2017). "Police arrest 23-year-old man over Manchester Arena terror attack". manchestereveningnews.co.uk.
  22. ^ Yeginsu, Ceylan; Erlanger, Steven (23 May 2017). "ISIS Claims Responsibility for Manchester Concert Attack; Toll Rises to 22". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  23. ^ Samuelson, Kate (23 May 2017). "ISIS Claims Responsibility For Manchester Concert Terrorist Attack". Time. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  24. ^ Dearden, Lizzie (23 May 2017). "Isis has claimed responsibility for the Manchester Arena attack". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  25. ^ "LIVE: Everything We Know About The Manchester Bombing So Far". HuffPost UK. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  26. ^ "Manchester terror attack suspect identified as Salman Abedi". Fox News. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  27. ^ "Manchester suicide bomber identified as Salman Abedi". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Manchester Arena attack: What we know so far". BBC News. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  29. ^ Jenny.minard (23 May 2017). "A message from Her Majesty The Queen to the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester". The Royal Family. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  30. ^ "Andy Burnham says spirit of Manchester will prevail after 'evil act'". standard.co.uk. 23 May 2017.
  31. ^ Silvera, Ian (23 May 2017). "Sadiq Khan: London stands united with Manchester after cowardly terrorist attack". International Business Times. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  32. ^ Lizzie Dearden (23 May 2017). "Manchester bombing: Katie Hopkins reported to police after calling for 'final solution' following terror attack". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  33. ^ Jonathan Mitchell (23 May 2017). "Manchester terror attack: Katie Hopkins sparks outcry after calling for 'final solution' following bombing". Evening Standard. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  34. ^ Sara C Nelson (23 May 2017). "Manchester Bombing: Katie Hopkins Twitter Row Sees Owen Jones Call For LBC Boycott". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Manchester Arena: children among 22 dead in explosion at Ariana Grande concert". Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  36. ^ "General election campaigning suspended after Manchester attack". The Guardian. London. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  37. ^ "Muslim Council of Britain 'horrified' at Manchester attack".
  38. ^ "Islamischer Staat bekennt sich zum Attentat".
  39. ^
    List
  40. ^ "UN chief strongly condemns terrorist attack on Manchester concert". 23 May 2017.
  41. ^ "Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on terror attack in Manchester". 23 May 2017.
  42. ^ "Statement by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker following the attack in Manchester". 23 May 2017.
  43. ^ "Pope Francis offers condolences to Manchester attack victims". Catholic Herald. 23 May 2017.
  44. ^ "Ariana Grande on Twitter".
  45. ^ "Manchester attack: People from North East caught up in attack which killed 22". ITV News. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
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