A man who was arrested in connection with the 1996 Manchester IRA bombing has been released without charge.
He was arrested on suspicion of terrorism at Birmingham Airport on Thursday and has now been released, Greater Manchester Police said. The man was interviewed by North-West Anti-Terrorist Police officers.
The head of investigations, Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks, said: “Although thankfully no one was killed in the 1996 Manchester bombing by the IRA, hundreds of people were injured, many of whom were life-changing, and many more across Greater Manchester and the North West were affected by what happened that day.
“We have always been committed to holding those responsible for the attack to account and bringing them to justice and have been investigating again for several years, with a team of dedicated detectives re-examining the original files and pursuing new lines of inquiry.
“Following the arrest, we have contacted people who were victims of this horrific attack to ensure they are up to date, as we know that for many people this will bring back memories of that terrible day, and we are doing everything possible to support our communities and those affected”.
He added: “We are determined to hold those responsible for this attack to account regardless of the time that has passed and would encourage anyone with information that could assist our inquiries to get in touch via the major incident portal.”
No one was killed in the blast, but around 200 people were injured, in what was described as the biggest bombing of mainland Britain since the Second World War.
There have been no charges over the attack on June 15, 1996. Thousands of shoppers and soccer fans had gathered in the city center ahead of a Euro 96 match that day between England and Scotland in the London’s Wembley Stadium.
The area was evacuated after a phone bomb threat. The 3,300-pound device detonated shortly after in a lorry parked on Corporation Street, near Arndale Shopping Centre.
The bomb caused extensive damage to Manchester city centre, and the area has since been transformed and undergone a multi-million pound rebuild.
