A man arrested in connection with the 1996 IRA bombing in Manchester has been released, police have said today. The suspect was detained by counter-terrorism officers after stepping off a plane at Birmingham Airport on Thursday night and taken into custody for questioning.
It was the first significant arrest in the long-running investigation into the attack on Saturday, June 15, 1996 which left some 212 people injured and devastated Manchester city centre.
However, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have confirmed this morning that man was last night released without charge. It is understood that an arrest made under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act does not allow suspects to be bailed or released under investigation.
READ MORE: We rebuilt our city after the IRA bombing, but justice has eluded us - so far
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "Following the arrest of a man on Thursday 8th September 2022, at Birmingham Airport, on suspicion of terrorism offences, in connection with the 1996 bombing in Manchester City Centre, the man was released from police custody without charge last night (9 th September 2022)."
The Manchester Evening News reported yesterday (Friday) that the man was held airside after arriving on a flight from elsewhere in Europe.
It is understood that officers from a dedicated team set up in 2016 to reinvestigate the case has been closely monitoring his movements for years.
In a statement issued yesterday, Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks – Head of Investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West said: "Although thankfully no-one was killed during the 1996 Manchester bombing by the IRA, hundreds of people were left with injuries - many of which were life-changing – and many more across Greater Manchester and the North West were affected by what happened on that day.
“We have always been committed to holding those responsible for the attack to account and bringing them to justice and have been reinvestigating for several years; with a team of dedicated detectives re-examining the original case files and pursuing new lines of inquiry.
"Following the arrest, we have contacted individuals who were victims of this horrific attack to ensure that they're updated, as we know for many people this will bring back memories of that terrible day and we are doing all we can to support our communities and those who were affected.
"Given the passage of time, and the number of people who were affected or injured by this atrocity, we sadly don't have the contact details for everyone so would encourage anyone who was affected that we haven't been able to reach to access the Major Incident Portal using this link.
"Anyone that leaves their details as someone who was affected will be contacted by a member of the investigation team as soon as possible."
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