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The father of the Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi has claimed his son is innocent.

Abedi's father Ramadan Abedi said he spoke to his son, the 22-year-old suicide bomber, five days ago and he sounded "normal".

Salman Abedi died after blowing himself up in a crowd of people leaving Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena on Monday night.

He killed 22 people and left dozens more seriously wounded during the horrific attack. An eight-year-old girl, Saffie Roussos, and two teenagers were among the victims killed.

But on Wednesday, father Ramadan Abedi denied his son was even linked to militants or the suicide bombing.

He said that his son visited Libya a month and a half ago and was preparing to get ready to go to Saudi Arabia.

The elder Abedi told the Associated Press by telephone from the Libyan capital of Tripoli: "We don't believe in killing innocents. This is not us."

Manchester Arena explosion aftermath - In pictures 35 show all Manchester Arena explosion aftermath - In pictures 1/35 Stephanie Brodie and mother Lisa Brodie who were inside the foyer when the explosion happened Jeremy Selwyn 2/35 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 3/35 Police close to the Manchester Arena the morning after a terrorist attack at the end of a concert by Ariana Grande left 22 dead PA 4/35 Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the media in Downing Street Stefan Rousseau/PA 5/35 A police officer moves a floral tribute close to the Manchester Arena PA 6/35 A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images 7/35 Police forensic officers investigate the scene of an explosion at Victoria Station Getty Images 8/35 People affected by the deadly terror attack at Manchester Arena look out from a hotel window in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 9/35 Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 10/35 A flag flies at half-mast from the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 11/35 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester. PA 12/35 Police forensic investigators walk along a bridge linking Victoria Station with the Manchester Arena where a suspected terrorist attack at the end of a concert Ariana Grande PA 13/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester Ben Birchall/PA 14/35 The scene at Manchester Royal Infirmary as the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack rose to 22 with 59 injured PA 15/35 Armed police patrol inside Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images 16/35 A flag flies at half-mast from the Treasury Office in London AFP/Getty Images 17/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA 18/35 Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins speaks to the media in Manchester where he said that the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack has risen to 22 with 59 injured PA 19/35 Susan Walton and her daughter Katie who attended the pop concert by US star Ariana Grande pose in Mancheste AFP/Getty Images 20/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 21/35 A police officer escorts people near to Manchester Arena Getty Images 22/35 Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 23/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA 24/35 A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images 25/35 People leave Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images 26/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 27/35 U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the attack in Manchester Reuters 28/35 A Union Flag flies above Victoria Railway Station, close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 29/35 An ambulance arrives as police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, near the Manchester Arena Getty Images 30/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 31/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 32/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 33/35 Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street Getty Images 34/35 British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon arrives for COBRA meeting at the Cabinet Office on Whitehall Getty Images 35/35 Flags fly at half mast above Downing Street, London, after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester PA 1/35 Stephanie Brodie and mother Lisa Brodie who were inside the foyer when the explosion happened Jeremy Selwyn 2/35 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 3/35 Police close to the Manchester Arena the morning after a terrorist attack at the end of a concert by Ariana Grande left 22 dead PA 4/35 Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the media in Downing Street Stefan Rousseau/PA 5/35 A police officer moves a floral tribute close to the Manchester Arena PA 6/35 A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images 7/35 Police forensic officers investigate the scene of an explosion at Victoria Station Getty Images 8/35 People affected by the deadly terror attack at Manchester Arena look out from a hotel window in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 9/35 Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 10/35 A flag flies at half-mast from the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Images 11/35 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester. PA 12/35 Police forensic investigators walk along a bridge linking Victoria Station with the Manchester Arena where a suspected terrorist attack at the end of a concert Ariana Grande PA 13/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester Ben Birchall/PA 14/35 The scene at Manchester Royal Infirmary as the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack rose to 22 with 59 injured PA 15/35 Armed police patrol inside Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images 16/35 A flag flies at half-mast from the Treasury Office in London AFP/Getty Images 17/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA 18/35 Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins speaks to the media in Manchester where he said that the death toll from the Manchester bomb attack has risen to 22 with 59 injured PA 19/35 Susan Walton and her daughter Katie who attended the pop concert by US star Ariana Grande pose in Mancheste AFP/Getty Images 20/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 21/35 A police officer escorts people near to Manchester Arena Getty Images 22/35 Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by Ariana Grande in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 23/35 Tributes left outside St Ann's Church in Manchester PA 24/35 A man embraces a woman and a teenager as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at the Manchester Arena Getty Images 25/35 People leave Victoria Station adjacent to Manchester Arena Getty Images 26/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last nights explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 27/35 U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the attack in Manchester Reuters 28/35 A Union Flag flies above Victoria Railway Station, close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 29/35 An ambulance arrives as police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, near the Manchester Arena Getty Images 30/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 31/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 32/35 Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her daughter Charlotte, aged 13, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Images 33/35 Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street Getty Images 34/35 British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon arrives for COBRA meeting at the Cabinet Office on Whitehall Getty Images 35/35 Flags fly at half mast above Downing Street, London, after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester PA

He said his other son, Ismail, was arrested in England on Tuesday morning.

According to the father, Salman Abedi was planning to return to the family home to Libya for the month of Ramadan.

The claim comes as Greater Manchester Police confirmed in a statement that an off-duty female police officer was one of the victims killed in the attack.

Ian Hopkins, chief constable of the force, said the bombing on Monday is part of a network which police are now investigating. Four people are currently being held by police in custody.

"It's a network we are investigating," the top police officer said. "It continues at a pace and there's extensive investigations."

London is currently on high alert with soldiers being deployed to "key locations" across the capital.

Army on patrol in London in wake of Manchester terror 18 show all Army on patrol in London in wake of Manchester terror 1/18 Troops today entered the Palace of Westminster in unprecedented scenes Alex Lentati 2/18 Soldiers entering the Palace of Westminster Alex Lentati 3/18 Almost 1,000 troops were deployed today to guard London's landmarks Alex Lentati 4/18 The arrival of troops was watched by armed police Alex Lentati 5/18 A solider stands guard with an armed Scotland Yard officer outside Buckingham Palace PA 6/18 The troops were stationed outside Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and other key sites PA 7/18 Troops were deployed as the UK's terror threat level was raised to "critical" PA 8/18 Armed troops were also positioned at embassies PA 9/18 Soldiers entering the Palace of Westminster today Alex Lentati 10/18 A female soldier is seen brandishing her service weapon before going on duty in the capital Alex Lentati 11/18 Soldiers were seen disembarking coaches in Westminster Alex Lentati 12/18 Soldiers arrive by bus and head toward a building next to New Scotland Yard AFP/Getty Images 13/18 Soldiers walk in Downing Street i Reuters 14/18 Soldiers talk with police on Downing Street Reuters 15/18 Troops were on patrol near No10 today Reuters 16/18 A soldier walks past 10 Downing Street as part of the army presence in London after the terrorist attack in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 17/18 Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and Major General Ben Bathhurst, General Officer Commanding London District (right) meet soldiers and police officers on deployment in the Palace of Westminster PA 18/18 Cressida Dick and Major General Ben Bathhurst spoke to troops and police on patrol PA 1/18 Troops today entered the Palace of Westminster in unprecedented scenes Alex Lentati 2/18 Soldiers entering the Palace of Westminster Alex Lentati 3/18 Almost 1,000 troops were deployed today to guard London's landmarks Alex Lentati 4/18 The arrival of troops was watched by armed police Alex Lentati 5/18 A solider stands guard with an armed Scotland Yard officer outside Buckingham Palace PA 6/18 The troops were stationed outside Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and other key sites PA 7/18 Troops were deployed as the UK's terror threat level was raised to "critical" PA 8/18 Armed troops were also positioned at embassies PA 9/18 Soldiers entering the Palace of Westminster today Alex Lentati 10/18 A female soldier is seen brandishing her service weapon before going on duty in the capital Alex Lentati 11/18 Soldiers were seen disembarking coaches in Westminster Alex Lentati 12/18 Soldiers arrive by bus and head toward a building next to New Scotland Yard AFP/Getty Images 13/18 Soldiers walk in Downing Street i Reuters 14/18 Soldiers talk with police on Downing Street Reuters 15/18 Troops were on patrol near No10 today Reuters 16/18 A soldier walks past 10 Downing Street as part of the army presence in London after the terrorist attack in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 17/18 Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and Major General Ben Bathhurst, General Officer Commanding London District (right) meet soldiers and police officers on deployment in the Palace of Westminster PA 18/18 Cressida Dick and Major General Ben Bathhurst spoke to troops and police on patrol PA

The extra military presence means armed police are freed up to boost security elsewhere in the country.

Scotland Yard announced troops were being sent to guard terrorist targets including Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, the Palace of Westminster and foreign embassies.

Armed police are likely to guard concerts in the capital this weekend and at major events such as the Chelsea Flower Show.

It comes after security services raised the UK's threat level to critical - meaning an attack is imminent - with 984 military personnel deployed across the country.

There are fears the Islamist bombmaker may still be at large because of the sophistication of the explosive device used in Manchester, but Chief Constable Hopkins refused to answer questions whether they had found a "bomb factory".