22 killed in IS attack in Manchester

​Manchester: A suicide bomber killed at least 22 people and wounded 59 at a packed concert hall in the English city of Manchester in what Prime Minister Theresa May called a sickening act targeting children and young people.

May said police believed they knew the identity of the bomber and police then said a 23-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the attack carried out late on Monday evening as people began leaving a concert given by Ariana Grande, a US singer who attracts a large number of young and teenage fans.

“All acts of terrorism are cowardly...but this attack stands out for its appalling sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenceless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives,” May said.

A witnesses said they heard a “big bang” at Manchester’s Arndale shopping mall and saw people running from the building. Police said they were dealing with an incident inside. The shopping centre reopened soon afterward.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more police had been ordered onto the streets of the British capital. Monday’s attack was the deadliest in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London’s transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores.

Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism.

The Islamic State militant group has called for attacks as retaliation for Western involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. US President Donald Trump described the attack as the work of “evil losers”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it “will only strengthen our resolve to...work with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds.”

IS claims responsibility
Meanwhile, the ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Manchester. The news comes after outlets reported that ISIS supporters were celebrating the bombing on social media, hailing it as a victory against "the crusaders" of the West and framing it as a response to airstrikes in Iraq.

A New Delhi report says there has been no Indian casualty in the in Manchester attack, quoting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"So far there is no report of an Indian casualty in the #Manchester attack. We are keeping a close watch on the situation," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.