Muslim preacher with ties to Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi was suspected by MI5 of radicalising people years before jihadist killed 22 people at Ariana Grande concert, report claims
- Mansour Al-Anezi was known by MI5 as a ‘suspected radicaliser’ before 2008
- He was in close contact with Salman Abedi before the Manchester attack in 2017
A Muslim preacher who was close to the Manchester Arena bomber was suspected by MI5 to have radicalised people more than a decade before the attack.
The preacher, Mansour Al-Anezi, had been investigated before another close associate of his tried to carry out a suicide bombing in Exeter, Devon, in 2008, according to a BBC investigation.
It comes as a public inquiry into the attack will this week report on how Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was radicalised, and whether security services missed chances to stop him.
But the BBC has revealed evidence excluded from previous public hearings which show Al-Anezi was investigated by the MI5 as a ‘suspected radicaliser’ before the attempted attack in Exeter.
The preacher, Mansour Al-Anezi (pictured), had been investigated before another close associate of his tried to carry out a suicide bombing in Exeter, Devon, in 2008, according to a BBC investigation
It comes as a public inquiry into the attack will this week report on how Manchester bomber Salman Abedi (pictured) was radicalised, and whether security services missed chances to stop him
Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Barraclough, the officer who led the Manchester Investigation, told the inquiry the relationship between Al-Anezi and Salman Abedi was ‘clearly a connection of significance’.
The inquiry also heard Al-Anzei had been arrested in connection with the Exeter attack in 2008, but were not told he was investigated by MI5 as a ‘suspected radicaliser’ before that, according to the BBC.
AI-Anezi, who died in 2017, moved from Kuwait to Manchester aged 43, before moving to Plymouth, Devon.
The MI5 warned investigators about Al-Anezi when he moved to Plymouth and he was monitored at the mosque where he preached, where intelligence was collected on his activity.
But it was only after Muslim convert Nicky Reilly, then aged 22, attacked a restaurant in Exeter with three bombs, that Al-Anezi came under active police suspicion.
Detectives did not have enough evidence to prove he was behind the attack, but he was subject to further investigation.
Al-Anezi visited Manchester and at ‘some stage’ became close with Salman Abedi, staying at his family home.
A source told the BBC Salman Abedi was ‘in tears’ while at his bedside of Al-Anezi when he died in a Plymouth hospital in 2017.
He was also in phone contact with the terrorist’s brother Hashem Abedi, who helped plan the attack.
Both brothers attended Al-Anezi’s funeral in Manchester and the next day bought chemicals used to create the explosives used in the arena attack on May 22, 2017.
A source told the BBC Salman Abedi (pictured) was ‘in tears’ while at his bedside of Al-Anezi when he died in a Plymouth hospital in 2017
Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Barraclough, the officer who led the Manchester Investigation, told the inquiry the relationship between Al-Anezi and Salman Abedi (pictured) was ‘clearly a connection of significance’
A group of five bereaved familes told the BBC they were ‘disappointed to learn of yet more links to terrorism in Abedi’s background which do not appear to have been investigated.’
The families are those of victims Kelly Brewster, 32, from Sheffield, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, from Barra, Megan Hurley, 15, from Liverpool, and Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, both from South Shields.
In a statement given to the BBC, they said: ‘If there is enough information in the public domain for the press to make these links then we would have expected the government to do the same and investigate fully.
‘We can only hope that this information was discussed in the closed hearings of the public inquiry.’
The Home Office was approached for comment.
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