The Manchester suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a pop concert venue packed with children likely did not act alone, a minister said on Wednesday as soldiers were being deployed to key sites to help prevent further attacks.
The official threat level in Britain was raised late on Tuesday for the first time in a decade to its highest level, "critical", meaning an attack could be imminent.
Interior minister Amber Rudd said up to 3,800 soldiers would be deployed on Britain's streets, taking on guard duties at places like Buckingham Palace and Downing Street to free up police to focus on patrols and investigatory work.
Police have named British-born Salman Abedi, 22, as the perpetrator of the bombing at the Manchester Arena indoor venue at the end of Monday's concert by U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande, attended by thousands of children and teenagers.
The identities of Abedi's victims were becoming known little by little. They included an eight-year-old girl, several teenage girls and a 28-year-old man.
A Polish couple who had come to collect their daughters after the concert also died, Poland's foreign minister said. The daughters were safe.
"It seems likely, possible, that he (Abedi) wasn't doing this on his own," Rudd told BBC radio. She also said Abedi had been known to security services before the bombing.
Prime Minister Theresa May chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency response committee at her Downing Street office.
Abedi was born in Manchester in 1994 to parents of Libyan origin, according to U.S. sources citing British contacts.
Asked about reports that Abedi had recently returned from Libya, Rudd said she believed that had now been confirmed.
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said British investigators had told French authorities Abedi had probably travelled to Syria as well and that he had "proven links" to the Islamic State militant group.
France, which has repeatedly been hit by devastating militant attacks since 2015, extended emergency powers in the wake of the Manchester bombing.
Britain has a national election coming up on June 8 but all campaigning has been suspended since the bombing. Coverage of the attack and its aftermath has pushed out political news from the British media.
It was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated attacks on London's transport network.
The Manchester bombing also left 64 people wounded, of whom 20 were receiving critical care for highly traumatic injuries to major organs and to limbs, a health official said.
WASHINGTON REBUKED OVER LEAKS
As Collomb was speaking in France, Rudd was asked by the BBC about the fact that information about Abedi, including his name, had come out from the United States and whether she would look again at information sharing with other countries.
"Yes, quite frankly. I mean the British police have been very clear that they want to control the flow of information in order to protect operational integrity, the element of surprise, so it is irritating if it gets released from other sources and I have been very clear with our friends that should not happen again."
Asked whether the U.S. leaks had compromised the investigation, she said: "I wouldn't go that far but I can say that they are perfectly clear about the situation and that it shouldn't happen again."
The British parliament, which is usually open to tourists, said it would close to the public with immediate effect due to the increased security threat and the closure would last until the advice changed.
Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamic radicalism.
Islamic State, now being driven from territories in Syria and Iraq by Western-backed armed forces, claimed responsibility for the Manchester attack, but there appeared to be contradictions in its account of the operation.
The militant group has repeatedly called for attacks on Western countries as retaliation for their involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Reuters
Wed May 24 2017
Men light candles following a vigil in central Manchester, Britain, May 23, 2017. REUTERS
Misi teroka peluang ekonomi, tarik pelaburan baharu di WEF - PM
Delegasi Malaysia akan berkongsi dasar dan hala tuju negara di samping mempertegas pendirian negara dalam isu geopolitik serantau di hadapan pemimpin dunia.
JBPM Terengganu berdepan kesukaran padam kebakaran
JBPM Terengganu menghadapi kesukaran memadamkan kebakaran di Kampung Sungai Ikan Kuala Nerus yang melibatkan lebih 75% tapak pelupusan sampah
Polis jangka laporan baharu selepas berkas guru tahfiz
Polis Kelantan menjangkakan lebih banyak laporan polis berkenaan pencabulan di sebuah pusat tahfiz di Machang selepas penahanan seorang guru.
Polis Jerman rampas 4 kereta Bugatti Veyron edisi terhad yang dikaitkan dengan 1MDB
Kenderaan berkenaan dikatakan sebahagian daripada siri "Legenda" khas Bugatti Veyron, dengan hanya 18 daripada supercar tersebut dibina dalam enam spesifikasi.
Gempa kuat 6.5 skala Richter gegar Garut, impak dirasai hingga Jakarta
Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) Indonesia merekodkan gempa berkekuatan 6.5 skala Richter pada malam Sabtu.
EPL: Jika saya bercakap akan berlaku pergaduhan - Salah
Salah sangat tegang dengan Klopp ketika dia bersedia untuk masuk sebagai pemain gantian pada minit ke-79.
Rumah Najib boleh jadi penjara - Peguam
Rumah bekas Perdana Menteri itu boleh dijadikan sebagai penjara dan tempat tahanan untuk beliau seperti yang termaktub dalam undang-undang.
Kopi, kanvas seni Tyler Wong
Kopi ialah kanvas untuk Tyler Wong mempamerkan kemahiran dalam mencipta seni latte yang rumit namun indah.
Mayat tanpa identiti ditemukan terapung di Sungai Linggi
Mayat dipercayai seorang lelaki ditemukan terapung di kawasan Sungai Linggi berhampiran Pusat Dakwah Islamiah Paroi, di sini petang Sabtu.
AWANI Ringkas: Lawatan sempena mesyuarat khas WEF
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Dikhabarkan telah bercerai, Ariana Grande didakwa bercinta dengan pelakon Ethan Slater
Ariana dan Ethan didakwa sudah mula berhubungan beberapa bulan lalu ketika mereka sama-sama berada di set penggambaran filem berkenaan.
Penghujung kisah cinta, Ariana Grande bercerai
Penyanyi, Ariana Grande dilaporkan telah bercerai dengan suaminya, Dalton Gomez.
Peminat gelar dirinya anoreksia, ini jawapan menyentuh jiwa Ariana Grande
Penyanyi Ariana Grande akhirnya bersuara dan memberi respons terhadap kebimbangan peminat terhadap penampilan terbaharunya.
Muat naik foto cincin, Ariana Grande dilapor sudah bertunang?
Penyanyi pop popular, Ariana Grande kini dilaporkan sudah bertunang.
Maaf, bukan Ariana Grande tapi Selena Gomez yang akan bersama Blackpink
Mesti ramai yang tak sabar nak tunggu kolaborasi Blackpink dengan Selena Gomez.
Selepas Ariana Grande, nama Selena Gomez pula disebut bakal bersama Blackpink
Lagu terbaharu itu juga akan menampilkan seorang lagi artis, namun tidak didedahkan identitinya.
Ariana Grande bakal sertai Blackpink?
Perkara tersebut diumumkan sendiri oleh YG Entertaiment melalui satu kemas kini di akaun Twitter pada Khamis.
Bukan lagi mimpi, Blackpink sah berduet dengan Lady Gaga
Berita baik bagi peminat muzik Kpop, lebih-lebih lagi peminat kumpulan sensasi Kpop, Blackpink.
Pereka kasut Itali Sergio Rossi meninggal dunia, dipercayai akibat COVID-19
Mendiang dilapor telah dimasukkan ke hospital beberapa hari lalu di Cesena, sebuah bandar di Emilia-Romagna yang merupakan antara wilayah yang paling teruk terjejas akibat pandemik koronavirus.
Billie Eilish lakar sejarah jadi pemenang Album Terbaik Grammy termuda
Billie Eilish lakar sejarah menjadi pemenang termuda bagi Anugerah Grammy dalam kategori Album Terbaik.