Royal Air Force officials have confirmed the authenticity of a bomb headed for the Islamic State group scrawled with the message, “love from Manchester.”
Images of the Paveway IV bomb went viral this week after suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, killed 22 people Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
An RAF spokesman said the airman responsible for adding the personalized message to the bomb meant for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, will not face disciplinary action.
“The RAF can confirm the photo was genuine,” a spokesman told the U.K. Telegraph Thursday. “The sentiment of the message written on the weapon is understandable and such writing has history in the RAF, so the individual concerned will not be taken to task.”
The fighter jet that delivered the payload belongs to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the newspaper reported.
British authorities have worked overtime since Monday to destroy a network of individuals who helped Mr. Abedi carry out his attack. Five arrests were made Wednesday.
“I think it’s very clear that this is a network that we are investigating,” police chief Ian Hopkins told reporters on Wednesday. “There’s extensive investigations going on and activity taking place across Greater Manchester as we speak.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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