Suicide bomber kills 22, including children, at concert in Manchester

Reuters: At least 22 people, including some children, were killed and 59 were wounded when a suicide bomber struck as thousands of fans streamed out of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday.

Prime Minister Theresa May called an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs on the deadliest militant assault in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London’s transport system in July 2005.

Witnesses related the horror of the blast which prompted a stampede just as the concert ended at Europe’s largest indoor arena.

“We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos,” said Sebastian Diaz, 19.

“It was literally just a minute after it ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off,” Diaz said.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the attack as the work of “evil losers”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it “will only strengthen our resolve to...work together with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds.”

Police said the attacker detonated the explosives shortly after 10:33 pm at Manchester Arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people. Children were among the dead, police said.

“We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man,” Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. “The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.

He declined to answer questions on the bomber’s identity.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more police had been ordered onto the streets of the British capital. London’s Victoria coach station was briefly closed after discovery of a suspect package.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the bomber’s explosives were packed with metal and bolts. At least 19 of those wounded were in a critical condition, the source said.

A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media.

“We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming,” concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.

“It was a huge explosion – youcould feel it in your chest.”

Ariana Grande, 23, whose concerts attract a very large proportion of young women and girls, said on Twitter: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.” May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 election.

“We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack,” May said in a statement.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe”, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism.

Trump denounces Manchester attack by “evil losers”

Reuters: US President Donald Trump extended his condolences on Tuesday to the victims of the Manchester suicide bombing that killed 22 people and said those behind the attack were “evil losers”.

Trump, speaking after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the town of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, said the United States stands in “absolute solidarity” with the British people.

“I extend my deepest condolences to those so terribly injured in this terrorist attack, and to the many killed and the families, so many families of the victims,” Trump said. “So many young, beautiful innocent people living and enjoying their lives murdered by evil losers in life.”

“Our society can have no tolerance for this continuation of bloodshed. We cannot stand a moment longer for the slaughter of innocent people,” Trump said.

“The terrorists and the extremists and those who give them aid and comfort must be driven out of our society forever. This wicked ideology must be obliterated, and I mean completely obliterated.”

Trump is visiting Jerusalem and West Bank on the second part of his maiden foreign trip since taking office in January. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the Manchester attack.

Britain suspends election campaign after suspected attack

Reuters: Britain’s political parties have agreed to suspend election campaigning until further notice following an explosion in Manchester that killed 19 people at a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said in a statement that he had spoken to Prime Minister Theresa May and had agreed that all national campaigning for the June 8 election would be suspended.

May said earlier that the incident in the northern English city was being treated as a terrorist attack.

“I am horrified by the horrendous events in Manchester last night,” Corbyn said. “My thoughts are with families and friends of those who have died and been injured.”

IS claims Manchester concert bombing

AFP: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a bombing in the British city of Manchester that killed 22 people, including children, at a concert.

The group said in a statement published on its social media channels that “one of the caliphate’s soldiers placed bombs among the crowds,” and it threatened more attacks.

The group’s self-styled news agency Amaq separately claimed “a security squad” carried out the attack.