Counter terror police investigating after brother of Manchester Arena bomber attacks prison officers

12/04/2025

Three prison officers have been attacked by the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber.

The Prison Officers Association (POA) said 28-year-old Hashem Abedi – the brother of Salman Abedi – threw hot cooking oil over the guards before stabbing them with homemade weapons.

He was sentenced in 2020 to at least 55 years in prison after being found guilty of 22 counts of murder over the 2017 atrocity.

The three officers were taken to hospital after the attack at category A Frankland prison, in County Durham, shortly before 11am on Saturday.

A female officer is understood to have now been discharged.

The POA said they suffered “life-threatening injuries” including burns, scalds and stab wounds.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on X: “I am appalled by the attack of three brave officers at HMP Frankland today. My thoughts are with them and their families.

“The police are now investigating. I will be pushing for the strongest possible punishment. Violence against our staff will never be tolerated.”

The POA said the attack happened in a separation centre, a small unit sometimes referred to as a “prison within a prison”, usually used to house dangerous prisoners and those deemed a risk of radicalising other inmates.

The union’s national chair Mark Fairhurst called for a review of the freedoms granted to those prisoners.

“I am of the opinion that allowing access to cooking facilities and items that can threaten the lives of staff should be removed immediately,” he said.

“These prisoners need only receive their basic entitlements and we should concentrate on control and containment instead of attempting to appease them. Things have to change.”

General secretary Steve Gillan added: “This is a disgraceful and cowardly attack on prison officers at Frankland prison who were carrying out their duties.”

Durham police said: “An investigation is under way following a serious assault which occurred at Frankland prison, Durham today.

“Three victims were taken to hospital to be treated where two remain with serious injuries and a third has been discharged.”

Hashem Abedi was previously found guilty, along with two other convicted terrorists, of attacking a prison officer at southeast London’s Belmarsh prison in 2020.

The officer was hit with a chair, repeatedly punched and kicked when he was set upon by Hashem Abedi, Parsons Green Tube bomber Ahmed Hassan and Muhammed Saeed, who spoke about carrying out a knife attack in London.

Hashem Abedi was found guilty by a jury of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life over the Manchester Arena bombing.

The court heard he helped source, buy, stockpile and transport the components for his brother’s bomb using a number of phones, vehicles and addresses in preparation for the attack.

Twenty-two people were killed when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive as people were leaving an Ariana Grande concert at the venue.

He died in the attack, while hundreds of others were injured.

Written by: Pippa Taylor

Rate it