LONDON: The brother of a man who detonated a suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in the English city of Manchester more than three years ago has admitted to playing a full part in planning the attack, an inquiry was told on Monday.
Hashem Abedi was found guilty in March of murder, for encouraging and helping his brother Salman to blow himself up at the Manchester Arena as parents arrived to collect their children at the end of a May 2017 show by the US pop singer.
Among the 22 killed were seven children, the youngest aged just eight, while 237 people were injured in what was Britain’s deadliest attack since 2005.
Hashem had denied involvement but offered no evidence in his trial. A jury concluded he was as guilty as his brother of murder.
However on Monday, an independent public inquiry into the bombings was told he had now acknowledged his role during an interview with its lawyers.
“On the 22nd of October... Hashem Abedi admitted that he had played a full part, and a knowing part, in the planning and preparation for the arena attack,” lawyer Paul Greaney, who is counsel to the Manchester Arena Inquiry, said.
Abedi was jailed for life in August and told he must serve at least 55 years behind bars.
The brothers, born to Libyan parents who emigrated to Britain during the rule of late leader Muammar Qaddafi, had plotted the attack at their home in south Manchester, shortly before they returned to Libya in mid-April 2017.
Hashem remained in Libya while his 22-year-old brother carried out the bombing, but police said he persuaded acquaintances to buy chemicals to make the explosives and had sourced metal drums used to build prototype devices.
Manchester bomber’s brother admits ‘full part’ in planning attack, UK inquiry told
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Manchester bomber’s brother admits ‘full part’ in planning attack, UK inquiry told
- Hashem Abedi was found guilty in March of murder, for encouraging and helping his brother Salman to blow himself up at the Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande concert
- The brothers, born to Libyan parents who emigrated to Britain during the rule of late leader Muammar Qaddafi, had plotted the attack at their home in south Manchester
Two high-speed trains derail in Spain, broadcaster reports five people killed
- The accident happened near Adamuz, which is near Cordoba
MADRID: Two high-speed trains derailed on Sunday in southern Spain, the rail network operator said, and state-run television channel RTVE said five people had died, citing police sources.
The accident happened near Adamuz, which is near Cordoba. An unknown number of passengers have been injured, RTVE said, citing Civil Guard sources.
“The Iryo 6189 Málaga — (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was traveling on the adjacent track has also derailed,” Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
Adif said the accident happened about ten minutes after the Iryo train left Malaga heading toward Madrid at 6:40 p.m. (1740 GMT).
Iryo is an Italian-run private rail operator. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adif has suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.
Andalusia emergency services said on social media that all rail traffic had been halted and emergency services were on their way, including at least nine ambulances and emergency support vehicles.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for RTVE who was on board the train from Cordoba to Madrid, shared images showing the rear carriage of the train lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on the side of the carriage.
