MANCHESTER: The man who carried out a suicide attack in Manchester was “likely” to have not acted alone, Home Secretary Amber Rudd says.
Salman Abedi killed 22 and injured 64 when he blew himself up at the Manchester Arena on Monday night – 20 people are in critical care.
The UK terror threat level is now up to its highest level of “critical”, meaning more attacks may be imminent.
It means military personnel will now be deployed to protect key sites.
Four of the victims are known to be eight-year-old Saffie Rose Rousses, Olivia Campbell, 15, John Atkinson, 28, and Georgina Callander – thought to be 18.
According to Reuters, the Polish foreign minister has said that two Polish people who went missing after the attack are among those killed.
Mrs Rudd said the attack was a “devastating occasion”. “It was more sophisticated than some of the attacks we’ve seen before, and it seems likely – possible – that he wasn’t doing this on his own,” she added.
Mrs Rudd has said she “absolutely” expects the raising of the threat level to critical to be temporary. She also said the bomber was known “up to a point” by the intelligence services.
She also said up to 3,800 troops will be deployed on the streets around the UK.
Mrs Rudd also said there would be an “uplift” in Prevent, the government’s anti-radicalisation programme, after June. This had already been planned before Monday’s attack, she added.
The change in terror threat comes after investigators were unable to rule out whether the bomber, named by police as Salman Abedi, was part of a group.
He is understood to be a 22-year-old born in Manchester to parents of Libyan descent.
The prime minister said soldiers would be placed in key public locations to support armed police in protecting the public. These include Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, embassies and the Palace of Westminster.
Military personnel may also be seen at other events over the coming weeks, such as concerts, Mrs May said, working under the command of police officers.
The prime minister said she did not want the public to feel “unduly alarmed” but said it was a “proportionate and sensible response”.
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