Counter-terror police give update on Liverpool bomb suspect
Police believe attack was in planning since April
Last updated 17th Nov 2021
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: "The investigation into the terrorist incident at Liverpool Women's Hospital on Sunday 14 November continues.
"The taxi in which the device exploded has now been removed and today line searches by specialist officers will take place at the Hospital which could go into tomorrow.
"The post mortem on the deceased has taken place and the cause of death has been described as injuries sustained from the fire and explosion.
"A complex picture is emerging over the purchases of the component parts of the device, we know that Al Swealmeen rented the property from April this year and we believe relevant purchases have been made at least since that time.
"We have now traced a next of kin for Al Swealmeen who has informed us that he was born in Iraq.
"Our enquiries have found that Al Swealmeen has had episodes of mental illness, this will form part of the investigation and will take some time to fully understand.
"There is much comment in the media about Al Swealmeen and it is clear that he was known to many people. We continue to appeal for people who knew him, especially those who associated with him this year as we try and piece together the events leading up to this incident and the reasons for it.
"At this time we are not finding any link to others in the Merseyside area of concern but this remains a fast moving investigation and as more becomes known we cannot rule out action against others."
Anyone who has any information should call on 0161 856 1027 quoting Liverpool Women's Hospital incident.
Details can be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
We have said for many years that Communities Defeat Terrorism, and the help and support we get from the public is a vital part of that. So we would urge everyone to remain vigilant, and if you do see anything suspicious then please report it, in confidence, to police via the Anti-terrorist hotline or gov.uk/ACT. It won’t ruin lives, but it may well save them.