Police name suspected Manchester bomber as UK-born Salman Abedi

He has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, believed to have been born in Manchester to Libyan refugee parents.

The London Telegraph newspaper said Abedi was the second youngest of four children whose family fled Libya and the Gaddafi regime.

His mother, Samia Tabbal, and father, Ramadan Abedi, a security officer, were both born in Libya but appear to have emigrated to London before moving to the Fallowfield area of south Manchester where they have lived for at least 10 years.

US officials familiar with the investigation told Reuters that it is believed Abedi travelled from London to Manchester to carry out the attack.

Greater Manchester Police have also arrested a 23-year-old man in South Manchester in connection with the blast.

Reuters reported the man arrested was one of Abedi's brothers.

Earlier on Tuesday they carried out a controlled explosion in the Manchester suburb of Fallowfield, and executed a second warrant in nearby Whalley Range.

Witnesses in the Whalley Range district said armed police had surrounded a newly-built apartment block on a usually quiet tree-lined street.

The release of the suspect's name coincided with a vigil in Manchester that drew thousands of people to Albert Square in the city's centre.

Eight-year-old Saffie Roussos, described as a "beautiful little girl" who was "loved by everyone" for her "warmth and kindness" was one of the 22 people killed during the attack after the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.

Teenager Georgina Callander was also confirmed to have been killed in the attack, which British Prime Minister Theresa May said was one of the worst terrorist attacks to hit the UK.

Another 59 people were injured - many suffering life-threatening injuries; 12 were children aged 16 or under, officials said. The injured were being treated at eight hospitals across Manchester.

Worried parents launched social media campaigns seeking information about their children and friends who had still not made contact more than 12 hours after the blast.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda arm Amaq, saying that one of its members had carried out the suicide bombing.

Western experts were sceptical, noting Islamic State had offered two accounts of the attack that partly contradicted each other as well as the official police version.

In its original post, the organisation said "a group of attackers" had been involved, a reference that was later removed.

Mrs May suspended election campaigning and arrived in Manchester at 2pm to meet local authorities and the paramedics who were treating the wounded.

"We struggle to comprehend the warped and twisted mind that sees a room packed with young children not as a scene to cherish but as an opportunity for carnage," she said outside 10 Downing prior to leaving London.

"All acts of terrorism are cowardly attacks on innocent people but this attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice - deliberately targeting innocent, defenceless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives."

She said security services were working to see if a wider group was involved in the attack, which fell less than three weeks before the national election.

Andrew Parker, the Director-General of MI5, the British intelligence service, issued a rare statement saying the agency remained "relentlessly focused" on combating the scourge of terrorism.

"Everyone at MI5 is revolted by the disgusting terrorist attack in Manchester last night," he said.

"Our teams have been working with the police through the night to assist the investigation.

"We remain relentlessly focused, in numerous current operations, on doing all we can to combat the scourge of terrorism and keep the country safe."

Chris Upton, the head-teacher at Tarleton Community primary school, about 60 kilometres from Manchester, said staff and pupils were struggling to comprehend the death of Saffie Roussos.

"The thought that anyone could go out to a concert and not come home is heartbreaking," he said.

"Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word.

"She was loved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly.

"Saffie was quiet and unassuming with a creative flair."

Specialists had been called in to help students and staff deal with their grief, he said.

Georgina Callander's friends turned to social media to pay tribute.

Pop star Ariana Grande said she was "broken" by the events.

Worried parents launched public appeals for help, saying they had still not heard from their children and their friends since the blast.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said police were helping families searching for Laura MacIntyre and Eilidh MacLeod, two girls from the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides who were still unaccounted for after having attended the concert.

"We know there will be much more heartbreak like that to face in the days ahead," Ms Sturgeon said.

"It is hard for any of us to imagine the anguish that their families are going through right now ... I must stress that at this stage we cannot be sure that there are no other Scots affected."

Laura was found badly injured in a Manchester hospital late on Tuesday but the search was continuing for Eilidh.

Deadliest attack since London bombings

The attack was the deadliest in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores.

Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism. Islamic State has repeatedly called for attacks as retaliation for Western involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

World leaders expressed support for Britain.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the attacks and spoke with Mrs May to convey "Australia's solidarity, love and prayers to the people of Manchester."

US President Donald Trump called Mrs May from Jerusalem, where he is on his first foreign trip as President. The two leaders agreed the attack was "particularly wanton and depraved" for targeting children at a joyous occasion.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the attack would "only strengthen our resolve to ... work with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds".

Fairfax Media, Reuters

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