MANCHESTER police have confirmed Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22, as the suicide bomber who killed 22 people and injured 59 more at the Ariana Grande concert yesterday at Manchester Arena in the UK.

The Guardian reported that the identity of Salman, a Mancunian of Libyan descent, was released to the media by officials in the United States going against the wishes of their UK counterparts.

Police forced entry into the house where Salman lived in south Manchester. They also searched the home of his brother, Ismael, also in south Manchester. They arrested a 23-year-old man near an address where the family had previously lived, prompting speculation that Ismael had been detained.

The report said Salman is believed to have been known to the law enforcement and security agencies.

None in the city’s Libyan community, however, ever suspected that the “slightly withdrawn, devout young man”, who was “always respectful to his elders” would turn out to be a mass murderer.

“Salman? I’m astonished by this,” one member of Manchester’s Libyan community told the Guardian. “He was such a quiet boy, always very respectful towards me. His brother Ismael is outgoing, but Salman was very quiet. He is such an unlikely person to have done this.”

Salman’s father, an odd-job worker, is said to be a “well-known figure” at the mosque where the family worships.

“He used to do the five and call the adhan. He has an absolutely beautiful voice. And his boys learned the Quran by heart.

“Abu Ismael will be terribly distraught. He was always very confrontational with jihadi ideology, and this Isis thing isn’t even jihad, it’s criminality. The family will be devastated.”

The father is believed to be in Tripoli and the mother, in Manchester.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed that the attack was carried out by “a caliphate soldier”.

IS staked its claim in Arabic and English on the group’s channels on the encrypted Telegram instant messaging service.

The English version read: “A solider of the Khilafah managed to place explosive devices in the midst of the gatherings of the Crusaders in the British city of Manchester, in revenge for Allah’s religion, in an endeavour to terrorize the [infidels], and in response to their transgressions against the lands of the Muslims.

“The explosive devices were detonated in the shameless concert arena, resulting in 30 Crusaders being killed [sic] and 70 others being wounded. And what comes next will be more severe on the worshippers of the Cross and their allies.” – May 24, 2017.