Police arrest two over Exeter bomb explosion

May 24, 2008

Police have arrested two men in connection to Thursday's bomb explosion in a cafe in Exeter, United Kingdom. The man suspected of being the bomber remains in hospital in a stable condition and is yet to be formally interviewed.

Ten armed officers arrested the pair from outside a cafe in Plymouth, Devon, and are questioning them. Their names have not been released.

The bomb that exploded in the Giraffe was composed of sodium hydroxide, kerosene, strips of aluminium foil and nails. Suspected bomber Nicky Reilly emerged moments later with a bloodied face and is under police guard in hospital, where he has undergone surgery to graft skin over lacerations to his face.

Experts have gone over Reilly's mobile phone, home telephone records and his computer. It is reported that his computer screensaver featured the World Trade Centre in flames after being struck by two hijacked airliners during the 9/11 attacks, and that his mobile revealed that shortly before the explosion he had received a text message apparently encouraging an attack with the bombs.

A second similar bomb was defused nearby. Both were described as highly volatile devices that could be activated by shaking. It is being investigated whether the bombs were supposed to be placed in the toilet with the belief that they were powerful enough to blow out the facade of the building.