One of the terrorists responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing attack in 2017, which saw 22 people killed while attending an Ariana Grande concert, allegedly attacked three prison officers with weapons and hot oil, according to British media reports on Saturday.
Hashem Abedi reportedly left two of the officers with life-threatening injuries. He reportedly used makeshift weapons to stab the officers and then burned them with hot cooking oil at HMP Frankland in Durham.
One of the officers was reportedly stabbed in the throat and face, resulting in him being airlifted for immediate treatment at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
One female officer has since been released from the hospital, although the other two continue to receive treatment.
It is currently believed that Abedi either stole the weapon from the kitchen or constructed it himself, according to the Telegraph.
This is not the first time that Abedi was said to have attacked prison staff, as he was sentenced in 2020 to three years and 10 months for an attack on an officer in Belmarsh prison.
A prison service spokesman said: “Three prison officers have been treated in hospital after an attack by a prisoner at HMP Frankland. Police are now investigating, so it would be inappropriate to comment further. Violence in prison will not be tolerated, and we will always push for the strongest punishment for attacks on our hard-working staff.”
Criminal history
Abedi was also found to have helped his brother Salman carry out the bombing attack on the Manchester Arena. He was found guilty in 2020 of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and sentenced to a minimum term of at least 55 years.
Greater Manchester Police said Abedia persuaded close acquaintances to purchase chemicals on his behalf that could be used to manufacture explosives, sourcing metal drums that were used to build bomb prototypes and buying a Nissan Micra that was used to store the bomb components back in Manchester whilst the brothers were in Libya.