The silent look of the suicide bomber suspect in the UK

Although a "silent" person, the suicide bomber suspect in Manchester, England, once expressed "hatred" toward a Muslim leader because he criticized IS.

Salman Abedi taken a few years ago. Photo: Guardian

British police on May 23 confirmed that Salman Abedi, 22 years old, was the suicide bomber at a music concert at Manchester Arena on the evening of May 22, killing at least 22 people and injuring 59 others.

According to the Telegraph, Abedi was born in Manchester but is of Libyan descent. He grew up in the relatively closed Libyan community in the UK with a strong stance against the regime of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Abedi was known to British security services but was never investigated or listed as a threat. A school friend said Abedi had travelled to Libya three weeks ago and returned a few days ago.

British authorities said Abedi had recently been radicalised, but the exact timeframe was unclear. He attended a local mosque that had been accused of fundraising for extremists.

Abedi's brother, Ismail, was a tutor at the Koran school at Didsbury Mosque. Mohammed Saeed El-Saeiti, the head of Didsbury Mosque, said Abedi had shown "hatred" when he warned of the dangers of the Islamic State (IS).

Although IS has claimed responsibility for the attack at Manchester Arena, authorities are still determining whether Abedi acted alone or was supported by a network.

Abedi’s parents were Libyan refugees who came to Britain to escape Gaddafi’s regime. They were both born in Tripoli and emigrated to London before moving to Whalley Range, south Manchester, where they have lived for almost 10 years. Abedi enrolled in a business management course at Salford University in 2014 but dropped out.

Mr El-Saeiti said Abedi occasionally prayed at the Didsbury mosque but was never friendly. "This man had shown hatred towards me and I could tell he didn't like me. I wasn't surprised," Mr El-Saeiti said. "He wasn't my friend, he wasn't close. I knew he didn't like me because I was against IS."

Neighbours living near the Abedi family home on Elsmore Road described how he had become increasingly religious and withdrawn. Lina Ahmed, 21, said Abedi had been behaving strangely recently.

“A few months ago, he stood in the middle of the street and recited the Muslim prayer in Arabic very loudly,” Ahmed recalled. “He said, ‘There is only one God and the Prophet Mohammed is his messenger.’”

A friend also described the Abedis as “deeply religious”. Most of the family have returned to Libya, with only Salman Abedi and his brother Ismail remaining in the UK.

“They haven’t been here in a while,” said Alan Kinsey, 52, a neighbor of the Abedis. His wife, Frances, 48, said she believed Salman Abedi and Ismail’s parents had left before Christmas.

A member of Manchester's Libyan community described Salman Abedi as "a quiet man" who "always showed respect" whenever he met him.

Residents of Whalley Range woke to the news that Salman Abedi had carried out a suicide bombing, killing 22 innocent victims, when police stormed the house where he lived. Two helicopters and at least 30 police in riot gear took part in the raid.

"Heavily armed police. All of them. It looked like a scene from a war movie," Kinsey said. "I was shocked. About 30 people in riot gear came in and immediately took down the fence between the two houses."

"They put something black on the door, then there was a loud bang. The door flew off its hinges. The windows shook. The whole thing took about 90 seconds."

"I didn't see them take anyone out of the house. I assumed it was unoccupied," Mr. Kinsey said.

According to VNE