Libyan origin Salman Abedi identified as Manchester concert attacker

The suicide bomber at Manchester Arena has been named as 23-year-old Salman Abedi, US officials have said. Greater Manchester Police did not immediately confirm the suspect's identity.

Theresa May previously said the bomber had been identified by security agencies, but that they were unable to name them at such an early stage of the investigation.

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 US 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 terrorists killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in July 2005.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadly attack and said it was carried out with an explosive device planted at the concert, according to a statement the group posted on Telegram.

"One of the soldiers of the Caliphate was able to place an explosive device within a gathering of the Crusaders in the city of Manchester," the statement said.

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

#PrayForManchesterPraying for the family's of the victims at the #ManchersterArena explosion ? ?? STAY Strong ?? pic.twitter.com/yjjjgufUez

— marco miranda (@simplymarcoo) May 23, 2017

Police said the attacker detonated the explosives shortly after 2123GMT at Manchester Arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people. Children were among the dead, police said. 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.

"Our values, our country and our way of life will always prevail" - PM @theresa_may on Manchester Arena attack https://t.co/I7YngSds2C pic.twitter.com/VIZDQ0B0Vj— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 23, 2017

One arrested

Police said they arrested a 23-year old man in connection with the attack.

"With regards to last night's incident at the Manchester Arena, we can confirm we have arrested a 23-year-old man in South Manchester," Greater Manchester Police said on Twitter on Tuesday.

Election campaign suspended

Britain's political parties have agreed to suspend election campaigning until further notice.

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.

'Evil losers'

US President Donald Trump extended his condolences on Tuesday to the victims of the Manchester suicide bombing 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 US 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."

Mother in emotional appeal to find her 15-year-old daughter Olivia, still missing after the Manchester Arena attack https://t.co/581eNHcxbw pic.twitter.com/vVH0N4Y7x5

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 23, 2017

Europeans offer support, sympathy

The leaders of Europe sent Britain offers of support and sympathy following the suicide bombing. Emmanuel Macron, newly elected president of France which has been hard hit by Islamist attacks in recent years, will offer Prime Minister Theresa May cooperation in a call later in the day, Macron's office said. "I offer my thoughts to the British people, to the victims and their loved ones," Macron himself wrote on Twitter. "We are fighting terrorism together." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, chief executive of the European Union, said: "It breaks my heart to think that, once again, terrorism has sought to instil fear where there should be joy, to sow division where young people and families should be coming together in celebration. EU flags flew at half mast outside the Union's headquarters in Brussels Other leaders lined up to express solidarity, among them Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, whose capital was home to an Islamic State cell which killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015, many of them at a rock concert, and which later struck in Brussels itself, killing 32 people in March last year.

Taxi drivers, hotel workers and the emergency services have worked through the night to help those caught up in the Manchester attack pic.twitter.com/tElF2ekm41— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) May 23, 2017

President Donald Trump describes those behind the Manchester terror attack as "losers" https://t.co/AV733nTYLm pic.twitter.com/P6PLnBRCua

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 23, 2017

Iran condemns attack

Iran condemned the suicide attack, but in an apparent swipe at Western security cooperation with Gulf Arab states said "artificial alliances" would not eliminate such threats. "Terrorism will be uprooted only by taking comprehensive measures, and avoiding double standards," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Tuesday. "Artificial alliances would not stop the expansion of cancerous terrorism in the world."