Manchester bombing: Salman Abedi 'called Britons infidels who are unjust to Arabs'

Manchester bomber Salman Abedi called Britons 'infidels' and complained about a lack of outrage over a friend's death by stabbing, it has been claimed.

A relative of the man suspected in the deadly Manchester concert attack says he was driven to extremism after seeing a friend fatally stabbed last year.

The relative spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter and concerns for her own security.

She said 22-year-old Abedi complained of being treated badly in Britain and was troubled why there seemed to be no outrage over his friend's slaying. She says Abedi believed it was because the friend was Muslim.

The relative says Abedi, who was born in England to parents from Libya, referred to Britons as “infidels” who “are unjust to the Arabs.”

She also defended him as “a great kid” and said he had no links to the Islamic State group or other militant groups.

Abedi died in the blast that killed 22 other people.

He reportedly called his mother and brother just 15 minutes before he blew himself up.

Salman Abedi asked his mother to "forgive me", a Libyan anti-terror offical said.

His father and brother have now been arrested in Libya, with the latter confessing to know "all the details" of the terror plot.

A spokesman for the Libyan government told The Times Abedi's brother, Hashem, told interrogators the attacker had phoned his family a quarter of an hour before the attack.

Additional reporting by agencies