Alleged Manchester bomber asked mom’s forgiveness ahead of attack

MANCHESTER (NEWS 110) – A spokesman for an anti-terror force in Libya says the suspect in the Manchester bombing attack telephoned his mother hours before the attack and said, “Forgive me.”

Special Deterrent Force spokesman Ahmed bin Salem said Thursday that 22-year-old Salman Abedi’s mother and three of his siblings in Libya were summoned for questioning.

A spokesman for an anti-terror force in Libya says the suspect in the Manchester bombing attack telephoned his mother hours before the attack and said, “Forgive me.”

Special Deterrent Force spokesman Ahmed bin Salem said Thursday that 22-year-old Salman Abedi’s mother and three of his siblings in Libya were summoned for questioning.

Abedi died in the blast that killed 22 other people.

Bin Salem says the mother told interrogators that her son left Libya for England only four days before the bombing and called her on the same day of the attack.

Bin Salem said: “He was giving farewell.”

Another sibling, 18-year-old brother Hashim, and Abedi’s father were arrested in Tripoli on Wednesday.

Bin Salem said Libyan investigators think, based on what Hashim Abedi told them, “the bomber acted alone.”

He says the brother told them that Salman learned how to make explosives on the internet and wanted to “seek victory for the Islamic State.”

Meanwhile, a relative of the Abedi says he was driven to extremism after seeing a friend fatally stabbed last year.

The relative spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter and concerns for her own security.

She said 22-year-old Salman Abedi complained of being treated badly in Britain and was troubled why there seemed to be no outrage over his friend’s slaying. She says Abedi believed it was because the friend was Muslim.

The relative says Abedi, who was born in England to parents from Libya, referred to Britons as “infidels” who “are unjust to the Arabs.”

She also defended him as “a great kid” and said he had no links to the Islamic State group or other militant groups.

Abedi died in the blast that killed 22 other people.

Bin Salem says the mother told interrogators that her son left Libya for England only four days before the bombing and called her on the same day of the attack.

Bin Salem said: “He was giving farewell.”

Another sibling, 18-year-old brother Hashim, and Abedi’s father were arrested in Tripoli on Wednesday.

Bin Salem said Libyan investigators think, based on what Hashim Abedi told them, “the bomber acted alone.”

He says the brother told them that Salman learned how to make explosives on the internet and wanted to “seek victory for the Islamic State.”

Meanwhile, a relative of the Abedi says he was driven to extremism after seeing a friend fatally stabbed last year.

The relative spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter and concerns for her own security.

She said 22-year-old Salman Abedi complained of being treated badly in Britain and was troubled why there seemed to be no outrage over his friend’s slaying. She says Abedi believed it was because the friend was Muslim.

The relative says Abedi, who was born in England to parents from Libya, referred to Britons as “infidels” who “are unjust to the Arabs.”

She also defended him as “a great kid” and said he had no links to the Islamic State group or other militant groups.