Suspect arrested in 1996 Manchester IRA bombing

Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Police have arrested man in connection with a 1996 bombing in Manchester City Centre, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The man was taken into custody at Birmingham Airport in Britain on Thursday night "on suspicion of terrorism offences," the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

Police have not released the man's name and he will be interviewed by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing.

The arrest is connected to the detonation of a bomb in Manchester City Centre more than 26 years ago by the Irish Republican Army paramilitary movement.

Nobody was killed but more than 200 people were injured when the device exploded on June 15, 1996. At the time, it was called the British mainland's largest bomb since World War II.

An anonymous telephone tip alerted police to the bomb threat, allowing thousands of people to be evacuated from the area.

The device detonated in a vehicle parked on a city street, creating a mushroom cloud over the city's skyline.

"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," Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks said in a statement.

"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."

Until the arrest, nobody had been charged in the case. Meeks said the amount time that has elapsed since the bombing will be a challenge for investigators.

"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," said Meeks, head of investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West.