Isis Claims Responsibility for Attack That Claimed 22 Lives

The Islamic State group says one of its members planted bomb in crowds in the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande show Monday night that left 22 people dead.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande show in England that left 22 people dead and sent young concertgoers fleeing, some still wearing the American pop star’s trademark kitten ears and holding pink balloons.

Teenage screams filled the Manchester Arena just after the explosion Monday night, and members of the audience tumbled over guardrails and each other to escape.

French President Emmanuel Macron walked to the British Embassy to offer support to the ambassador, and pledged to improve intelligence coordination in Europe.

He says “it’s all of free Europe that was attacked, all of Europe’s youth that was attacked.”

Macron said his government would hold a Cabinet-level defense meeting on Wednesday to address intelligence cooperation and a task force against Islamic State extremists.

For the young crowd of music fans, the Ariana Grande concert was supposed to be a night of high-energy candy pop and fun on a school night.

The scene quickly turned into sheer terror when a bomb went off at the end, sending terrified parents into a desperate search for their loved ones _ many of them teenagers and `tweens.

Police say children are among the 22 people killed.

About 60 others are wounded.

The United States’ top intelligence official says the U.S. government has not yet verified that the Islamic State group is responsible for the Manchester attack.

Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, told Congress that the extremist group frequently claims responsibility for terror attacks.

The Islamic State group says one of its members planted bomb in crowds in the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande show Monday night that left 22 people dead.

The group warned in a statement on social media that more attacks are to come.

Testifying Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Coats says though he was aware of the IS claim of responsibility, U.S. authorities hadn’t yet verified that.

He says the Manchester attack is a reminder the terrorist threat is real. He says, “It’s not going away and it needs significant attention.”