Authorities want to keep the body of Salman Abedi out of Greater Manchester
Manchester mosques and funeral directors are refusing to deal with the body of 22-year-old suicide bomber Salman Abedi, according to The Times.
On Monday 22 May, at around 10.30pm, Abedi entered the Manchester Arena and detonated a homemade device which killed 22 people - eight of which were aged between 8 and 18 years old - and injured up to 120 more.
According to the paper, the authorities want to ensure that Abedi’s body - which is currently being kept in a morgue outside of Greater Manchester - remains as far away from his victims as possible.
Following a meeting of its executive committee, one of the city's largest mosques, Manchester Central Mosque, has reportedly agreed, if asked, not to inter Abedi's body.
The final decision on what to do with his remains is now with the coroner.
The move echoes the recent case of Moors murderer, Ian Brady, who died earlier this month. Several councils have reportedly refused to accept his body, including in Glasgow, where Brady wished to be cremated.
This comes after police revealed yesterday that many of Abedi’s ‘movements and actions had been carried out alone’ in the four days prior to the attack. They also said that Abedi had purchased most of the bomb’s components himself, though a wider network could not be ruled out.
Police say they are ‘especially keen’ to locate a blue suitcase used by Abedi in the days leading up to the attack, and discover why he returned multiple times to the Wilmslow Road area.
In total sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the attack, with eleven - including Abedi's 24-year-old brother - still in police custody.
Abedia's father and younger brother, meanwhile, are still being detained in Libya.
