THE brother of the Manchester Arena bomber allegedly knifed three prison guards today, seriously injuring one.
Warders suffered burns, scalds and stab wounds in the attack, allegedly carried out by 28-year-old Hashem Abedi, sources said.
He was working in a kitchen at HMP Frankland, in County Durham, when he threw hot oil on two guards before slashing at them and a third with two home-made 20cm-bladed weapons, they claimed.
Abedi was sentenced to at least 55 years in 2020 for helping suicide bomber older brother Salman plan the 2017 atrocity where 22 died.
He was held on a prison wing housing mostly Muslim inmates, including terrorists.
One officer was stabbed once in the neck and another five times in the back, the source said.
One person — believed to be female — was understood to be in a critical condition.
After his alleged attack, Abedi was subdued by other officers and put in a segregation cell.
Riot squad officers then stormed in, with inmates on all wings put on lockdown. Air ambulance crews landed on the prison’s grounds.
Police are investigating and counter-terror forces could be called in to the jail, home to killers Levi Bellfield, Ian Huntley and ex-cop Wayne Couzens and dubbed “Monster Mansion”.
A source said: “It was horrific, a bloodbath.
“The attacker was being supervised by the officers but turned on them out of the blue.
“The officers who rushed to help were really shaken. One said he had never seen as much blood as this in his life.
“Screams rang out and blood was everywhere. It was truly horrendous.”
The attack took place in a separation centre, which holds the most dangerous cons.
The Prison Officers’ Association called for a review of the freedoms such inmates are given.
HMP Frankland confirmed three victims were taken to hospital after the attack – where two remain with serious injuries, while one has been discharged.
They added that the suspect had been detained.
Counter Terrorism Policing’s (CTP) Acting Senior National Coordinator, Commander Dom Murphy said: “Given the nature of the incident, it has been agreed that CTP North East will lead the investigation, supported by Durham Constabulary.
[quote credit=”Prison source”]Screams rang out and blood was everywhere. It was truly horrendous[/quote]“This is an ongoing investigation which is in its early stages, and we are working hard to establish the facts. Therefore, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said last night: “I will be pushing for the strongest possible punishment. Violence against our staff will never be tolerated.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was “ridiculous” highly dangerous prisoners are given access to cooking facilities and weapons that can threaten lives.
He said: “That luxury must be removed immediately. Prison governors need to stop appeasing these offenders. The safety of prison officers is infinitely more important than the supposed ‘welfare’ of terrorists.”
Abedi’s trial followed a lengthy extradition process that saw his arrest by authorities in Libya.
The Old Bailey heard Manchester-born Abedi was “just as guilty” as his brother, who detonated the bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
Jurors heard that the Islamic extremist assisted Salman with building the bomb.
Yesterday’s horrific attack comes amid fears about rising violence against staff and inmates in prisons.
Latest statistics show there were almost 27,000 assaults on inmates and staff in 2023. The figure had jumped from 28 per cent on the previous year.
Experts fear staffing cuts – and a lack of experienced prison officers – have added to problems in jails.
High-security Frankland is dubbed Monster Mansion because of the fiends it houses.
The Category A jail is home to killers including Levi Bellfield, Ian Huntley and ex-cop Wayne Couzens.
RISING VIOLENCE AGAINST PRISON STAFF
It also holds Islamist inmates including terrorist Dhiren Barot and Nazi nail bomber David Copeland.
A prisoner was charged with attempted after a Greater Manchester Police officer was stabbed in the chest on a visit to Frankland last July.
The police officer suffered critical injuries but survived the attack after hospital treatment.
A spokesman for North-East Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 10.50 am on 12 April to attend an incident at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham.
“We dispatched two paramedic ambulance crews, a doctor in a rapid response vehicle, the air ambulance with a second doctor, a specialist paramedic, a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) crew and a duty officer.
“We treated three patients before conveying all to hospital by road. Two of the patients were accompanied by a doctor.”
The Ministry of Justice was contacted for comment.
