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Manchester attack: Three more arrests in bomber investigation
[BBC] Three more men have been arrested as police continue to investigate whether Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi acted alone. Police arrested the three in the city on Wednesday. Abedi's 23-year-old brother was arrested on Tuesday.

Abedi killed 22 and injured 64 when he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night.

The UK terror threat level is now up to its highest level of "critical", meaning more attacks may be imminent. It means military personnel are being deployed to protect key sites.

The Palace of Westminster has been closed to the public following police advice, and will not re-open until further notice, a statement on its website said.

And the Changing the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace has been cancelled on Wednesday to allow for the redeployment of police officers, the Ministry of Defence said.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: "[Monday's attack] 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."

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said that the bomber is thought to have been a "mule", using a device built by someone else.

Update from the Telegraph liveblog as of 4:24 p.m. Greenwich Time. Yesterday's post can be seen here.
  • 1000 soldiers deployed on streets in race to foil second attack

  • Prime Minister Theresa May launches Operation Temperer

  • Fears accomplices of Manchester bomber planning new plot
What is now known about Salman Abedi (see a different photo than Besoeker's, above, of the smug little git at the link):
  • Studied business at Salford University but dropped out before completing his degree.

  • Returned from Libya as recently as this week. A school friend told The Times: "He went to Libya three weeks ago and came back recently, like days ago."

  • Attended the Manchester Islamic Centre, also known as Didsbury Mosque, along with his "very religious" parents and siblings.

  • Family moved back to Libya, leaving Abedi and his older brother Ismail living alone in the family home.

    • A group of Gaddafi dissidents, who were members of the outlawed Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), lived within close proximity to Abedi in Whalley Range, including Abd al-Baset Azzouz, 48, an expert bomb maker and father-of-four from Manchester, who left Britain to run a terrorist network in eastern Libya overseen by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor as leader of al-Qaeda. The Telegraph reported in 2014 that Azzouz had 200 to 300 militants under his control and was an expert in bomb-making.

    Another member of the Libyan community in Manchester, Salah Aboaoba told Channel 4 news in 2011 that he had been fund raising for LIFG while in the city. Aboaoba had claimed he had raised funds at Didsbury mosque. The mosque at the time vehemently denied the claim.

    Father called from Tripoli to say Salman Abedi is innocent.

    Abedi identified by bank card in his pocket. According to an anonymous U.S. intelligence official, Abedi family members had warned authorities that Salman is dangerous.

    A French official said Abedi has proven links to ISIS, probably travelled to Syria.

    Hours after the attack a man placed a molotov cocktail at the door of a mosque and lit it, causing damage.

    Hospital update: 20 victims remain in 'critical care across Manchester with people suffering from "horrific injuries" including major organ damage and potential loss of limbs. Twelve of those rushed to hospital were children.

    The timeline of events can be seen here. Bottom line, it was called in immediately by multiple people and the authorities got there in minutes.

    Posted by: Besoeker 2017-05-24
    http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=488723