Politics: Theresa May condemns 'callous terrorist attack' that killed 22 people in Manchester

Prime Minister Theresa May responds to incident at the Manchester arena.

• Prime Minister condemns "callous" terror attack in Manchester after holding emergency Cobra meeting with senior ministers.
• At least 22 people have been killed and 50 people injured after an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in the Manchester arena.
• Manchester police say they believe a man detonated an improvised explosive device in the arena foyer.
• Theresa May says police believe they know identity of the attacker.
• The general election campaign has been suspended.
• Donald Trump calls terrorists "evil losers."

LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May has condemend the "callous terrorist attack" at the Manchester Arena following a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee.

At least 22 people have been killed and 50 people injured following what is believed to have been a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert.

"It is now beyond doubt that the people of Manchester and of this country have fallen victim to a callous terrorist attack," she said.

"This attack stands out for its appalling sickening cowardice," she said adding that "many children and young people" were among the dead.

The prime minister said police believed they knew the identity of the attacker but would not be naming him yet.

She praised the actions of the emergency services and the people of Manchester who had helped the victims in the wake of the attack.

"We experienced the worst of humanity in Manchester last night — but we also saw the best," she said.

"Let's remember those who died and those who helped, safe in the knowledge that the terrorists will never win and that our way of life will always prevail."

Watch Theresa May's statement on Manchester attack.

The PM will now travel to Manchester to meet with those at the frontline of dealing with the aftermath of the attack.

Greater Manchester police said they believed a lone attacker had used an "improvised explosive device" to commit the atrocity.

The Home Secretary Amber Rudd said that the people of the city would carry on.

"The great city of Manchester has been affected by terrorism before. Its spirit was not bowed; its community continued," she said in a statement.

"This time it has been a particular attack on the most vulnerable in our society – its intention was to sow fear – its intention is to divide. But it will not succeed.”

The general election campaign has been suspended following the most deadly attack in the UK since the 7/7 attacks over a decade ago.

"I have spoken with the Prime Minister and we have agreed that that all national campaigning in the general election will be suspended until further notice," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement this morning.

All other major political parties also said they would put their campaigns on hold in the wake of the attacks.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said he would hold a vigil tonight in the centre of the city in honour of those who died in the attack.

"What the extremists don't want is to think that people will work with each other... But that is what the people here are like. They will never beat us. We are strong..."

"The individual who carried this out is an extemist and doesn't represent the people of Manchester in any shape or form."

World leaders offered their help and solidarity to the UK. European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker said the EU would "work side by side with you to fight back against those who seek to destroy our way of life.

Flags outside the European Commission were flown at half mast in solidarity with the people of Britain.

US president Donald Trump phoned the president and offerered his condolences to those affected.

In a statement during his Middle East visit, he also described those responsible for terror attacks around the world as "evil losers" and said they would be "obliterated" in future.

"I would like to begin by offering my prayers to the people of Manchester," Trump said, at a new conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "I extend my deepest condolences to those so terribly injured in this terrorist attack and to the many killed, and the families, so many families, of the victims."

"We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom."

"So many young, beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives murdered by evil losers in life," Trump said. "I won't call these people monsters, because they would like that term. They would think that's a great name."

"I will call them, from now on, losers. Because that's what they are, they're losers."

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