Family responsible for brothers' radicalisation

All ‘held extremist views’ and are believed to be in Libya. The pair were also inspired by ‘poster boys for Islamic State’, a report has said.

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

THE wider family of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi ‘holds significant responsibility’ for his radicalisation while Manchester-based Islamic State ‘poster boys’ also encouraged him, the public inquiry into the atrocity has concluded.

Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders blamed dad Ramadan Abedi, mother Samia Tabbal and brother Ismail Abedi for turning Salman Abedi and his accomplice brother Hashem into Islamic State fanatics prepared to kill children at a pop concert.

Some 22 people died and a thousand others were hurt when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a huge device in his backpack as mainly young concert-goers were leaving an Ariana Grande gig at the arena in May 2017.

Yesterday, in the third and final report of the public inquiry into the atrocity, chairman Sir John published findings on how Salman and Hashem Abedi were radicalised.

He concluded the Abedi family ‘holds significant responsibility for the radicalisation’ of the brothers.

“That includes their father Ramadan Abedi, mother Samia Tabbal and elder brother Ismail Abedi, each of whom has held extremist views. Their views influenced the development of [the brothers’] world views.”

Sir John went on that it was also likely that Salman and Hashem ‘fed off each other’s ideas and radicalised each other’.