A suspected terrorist who blew himself up with a homemade bomb outside a hospital for women and babies in Liverpool had been buying bomb components since at least April, police have said.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said that Iraq-born Emad Al Swealmeen had rented a property in Liverpool seven months ago and had started making "relevant purchases" for his homemade bomb "at least" since that time.
The 32-year-old died after the device exploded in a taxi outside the Women's Hospital in Liverpool shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday.
The driver of the cab, named locally as David Perry, survived the incident and has since been discharged from hospital.
In an update issued today, Mr Jackson said: "A complex picture is emerging over the purchases of the component parts of the device.
"We know that Al Swealmeen rented the property from April this year and we believe relevant purchases have been made at least since that time.
"We have now traced a next-of-kin for Al Swealmeen who has informed us that he was born in Iraq."
He also said that the asylum seeker had suffered from periods of mental illness that will "form part of the investigation and will take some time to fully understand".
Mr Jackson added: "There is much comment in the media about Al Swealmeen and it is clear that he was known to many people.
"We continue to appeal for people who knew him, especially those who associated with him this year as we try and piece together the events leading up to this incident and the reasons for it.
"At this time we are not finding any link to others in the Merseyside area of concern but this remains a fast moving investigation and as more becomes known we cannot rule out action against others."
