TRIPOLI, Libya (Reuters) – The father of the bomber who killed 22 concert-goers in an attack in Manchester told Reuters in the Libyan capital on Wednesday (May 24) that he had last spoken to his son some five days ago, by phone, and that “everything was normal.”
Ramadan Abedi, who was detained by a Tripoli counter-terrorism force during the interview, said his son Salman had told his family that he was heading on pilgrimage to Mecca.
Abedi said he was sure that Salman had not been a member of Islamic State, or any other organization.
“The family is a bit confused because Salman doesn’t have this ideology, he doesn’t believe in these beliefs,” Abedi said, adding that they condemned the attacks on innocent civilians.
While Reuters was interviewing Abedi, several unmarked vehicles carrying heavily armed Rada forces drove up to the family home in the Tripoli suburb of Ayn Zara and detained him. Rada did not give a reason for his arrest.
Rada is one of the largest of the armed groups that have held power on the ground in Tripoli since the 2011 uprising that overthrew Gaddafi.