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war2017

2017 Manchester Arena bombing — 2017 terrorist attack in the United Kingdom

May 22, 2017

The deadliest terrorist attack in the UK since the 7 July 2005 London bombings, killing 22 people at a pop concert in Manchester.

Quick Facts

Year
2017
Category
war

Key Facts

Deaths
22
Injured
1,017
Perpetrator
Salman Abedi (suicide bomber)
Hashem Abedi sentence
Life imprisonment, minimum 55 years
Benefit concert raised
£17 million
Time of attack
22:31, 22 May 2017

By the Numbers

22
Deaths
1,017
Injured
55
Hashem Abedi sentence
17
Benefit concert raised

Location

Map of Manchester, United KingdomMap of Manchester, United KingdomManchester, United Kingdom

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Salman Abedi, a British-Libyan Islamic extremist, planned and prepared a suicide attack with the knowledge of his brother Hashem Abedi. He constructed an improvised explosive device using TATP and shrapnel, targeting a crowded public venue following an Ariana Grande concert.

Event

At 22:31 on 22 May 2017, Abedi detonated his device in the foyer of Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring 1,017 others. It was the first suicide bombing in the UK since the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the deadliest act of terrorism in Britain in over a decade.

Consequence

Hashem Abedi was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to a minimum 55 years, the longest term imposed by a British court. A 2021 public inquiry found failures by police and MI5. Prime Minister Theresa May established the Commission for Countering Extremism, and Islamophobic hate crimes rose in Greater Manchester.

Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis

Side A

1 belligerent

Salman Abedi (Islamic extremist attacker)
Estimated Casualties1
Key Commanders

Salman Abedi, Hashem Abedi.

Side B

1 belligerent

Civilian concertgoers, United Kingdom
Estimated Casualties~1K
Total Casualties (all sides)
1,039
Outcome
22 civilians killed, 1,017 injured; Hashem Abedi convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment

Timeline Context

Timeline around 20172017201420152016201820192020Copa Mundial 2028 — 10th and last FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Russia in 2017Carnegiea gigantea — species of plant2017 Istanbul nightclub attack — terrorist mass shooting that occurred at a nightclub in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on 1 January 20172017 Formula One World Championship — 68th season of FIA Formula One World Championship2017 Africa Cup of Nations — football championship of AfricaJanuary 2017 — month of 20172017–18 UEFA Europa League — 47th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA2017 World Championships in Athletics — 2017 edition of the World Championships in Athletics2017-manchester-arena-bombing-2017-terrorist-attack-in-the-2017