MI5 expresses ‘deep and profound’ regret over Manchester Arena bomb attack

MI5 has expressed its condolences to the families of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing.
By Sean Gleaves
Published 16th Mar 2022, 16:54 BST
Updated 16th Mar 2022, 19:23 BST
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The hearing into the attack has now come to an end in Manchester and a report from the chairman is expected later this year.

Lawyers for the security services said it was of "deep and profound" regret that suicide bomber Salman Abedi had been able to carry out his plot on May 22 2017.

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Cathryn McGahey QC, representing the Home Office, said MI5 was determined to do everything it could to protect the public from future atrocities.

MI5 expressed its condolences to the families of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing as the final hearing of the public inquiry into the terror attack came to an end.MI5 expressed its condolences to the families of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing as the final hearing of the public inquiry into the terror attack came to an end.
MI5 expressed its condolences to the families of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing as the final hearing of the public inquiry into the terror attack came to an end.

But she also defended the security services from claims of "missed opportunities" to stop the bomber, heard during the 196 days of the public hearing, which began in September 2020.

Chairman of the inquiry Sir John Saunders will write reports covering whether the attack could or should have been prevented, the planning and preparation by the bomb plotters, Salman and his brother Hashem.

Lawyers for the families have highlighted the stream of information coming into the security services about Abedi and the fact that he was opened as a "subject of interest" (SOI) by MI5, before his case was closed four months later in July 2014.

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