Man arrested in connection with 1996 IRA bomb in Manchester
The aftermath of the IRA bomb in Manchester city centre. Credit: Archive
A man has been arrested in connection with the IRA bomb that changed the face of Manchester city centre.
The explosion in 1996 injured around 250 people and devastated buildings in the city, though thankfully no one was killed in the blast.
No one has ever been charged over the attack on 15 June 1996.
But GMP has now confirmed that an arrest has been made at Birmingham Airport last night on suspicion of terrorism offences.
He remains in custody for questioning by Counter Terrorism Policing for the North West (CTPNW).
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: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP20S33-PO1.
“Anyone that leaves their details as someone who was affected will be contacted by a member of the investigation team as soon as possible.
“We remain determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time passed and would still encourage anyone who has any information that could assist our enquiries to get in touch via the Major Incident Portal.”
Featured image: Archive