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London, May 29
The UK's MI5 intelligence agency has launched urgent inquiries into how it missed the danger posed by the Manchester bomber, as British police carried out fresh raids and arrested another person on Monday in connection with the suicide attack that claimed 22 lives last week.
In connection with the concert bombing, a 23-year-old man was arrested in Shoreham-by-Sea, more than 400 kilometres from Manchester, on suspicion of terror offences.
Greater Manchester Police said they had also executed search warrants at addresses in the Whalley Range area of Manchester and in Chester overnight.
Two men — one of them aged 19 and the other 25 — were arrested yesterday on suspicion of terror activities.
The total number of people in custody in connection with the bombing was 14 while two others were earlier released without charge.
MI5 has launched two urgent inquiries into how it missed the danger posed by the Manchester bomber, Salman Abedi, amid claims his interest in being a potential terrorist killer was repeatedly reported to the authorities.
Britain's domestic security service started one review last week, which will aim to quickly identify any glaring errors, while the other will be more in depth, the Guardian reported.
The reviews come with security officials warning that the threat from Islamist terrorism keeps rising and is at an "unprecedented scale", with other attack plots feared.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd yesterday refused to comment on whether opportunities were missed to spot the murderous intent of the 22-year-old before his deadly attack.
The 19-year-old man was arrested yesterday in a raid on the former home of Abedi.
Abedi, 22, was listed at the property along with his older brother, Ismail, who was arrested shortly after the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert and remains in police custody.
Residents described their houses shaking and hearing a loud blast as officers forced their way into the semi-detached property in the Gorton area of Manchester.
Explosions were reported at several of the search sites yesterday, although police have not commented on whether a controlled explosion was used to gain entrance to the property.
Earlier yesterday, police had conducted raids in Moss side area of Manchester and arrested the 25-year-old man.
As the large-scale operation continued, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) said 54 people injured in the attack were still being treated in eight hospitals with 19 receiving critical care.
A total of 116 people had required hospital care in the wake of the massacre, police previously said.
Britain's terror threat level has also been reduced to "severe" from "critical".
The terror threat level now indicates that an attack remains highly likely rather than imminent. The Army troops deployed as a result of Operation Temperer will be reduced from tonight.
In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abedi's younger brother 20-year-old Hashem and their father, Ramadan, are being held by special forces linked to the country's interior ministry. — PTI
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