The 22-year-old behind the deadly bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester was known to security services, British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Wednesday, as the country elevated its terror threat to the highest level for the first time in a decade.
Police have named Salman Abedi, a British-born national of Libyan descent, as the bomber in the attack on Manchester Arena, which killed at least 22 people, including children. Abedi died in the blast, in what appears to have been a suicide bombing.
Rudd confirmed in an interview with the BBC that Abedi was on the radar of intelligence services and that he had recently returned to the UK from Libya.
Monday's blast marked the deadliest terror attack on British soil since the 2005 London bombings.
"The intelligence services know a lot of people, and I'm sure we will find out more what level they knew about him in due course, but at the moment all they have confirmed is that they did know about him. And as I say, we will find out more when the operation is complete," she said.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced Tuesday night that Britain's threat level had been raised from "severe" to "critical," and warned that a "further attack may be imminent."
The change in status has led to speculation that that Abedi may not have been acting alone.
Rudd said that it was "likely, possible, that he wasn't doing this on his own."
Police arrested three men in south Manchester on Wednesday in connection with the attack. Another 23-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday. (CNN)
