What was the 1988 Lockerbie attack that killed 270 people in UK? Read here

On Monday, December 12, Scotland officials said that a Libyan man called Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi is in United States prison after being accused of making the explosives that wrecked a passenger airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Americans made up the vast bulk of victims killed in the blast.

The Lockerbie bombing was the deadliest terrorist act on British territory. In a statement, Scotland's Crown Office, as well as Procurator Fiscal Service, stated that Scottish police and prosecutors, in collaboration with the United Kingdom government and United States partners, will continue to investigate the case with the sole goal of bringing those who assisted al-Megrahi to justice.



How did the Lockerbie bombing happen?
A bomb hidden onboard Pam Am Flight 103 detonated less than 30 minutes after the plane took off from London's Heathrow airport heading for New York. The explosion damaged the plane carrying passengers from 21 different nations. 190 Americans were among the dead.

Investigators quickly connected the explosion to Libya, whose government had earlier engaged in conflicts with the United States and other Western states.

FAQs:

1. Who was responsible for the attack?
   The United States prosecuted two Libyan intelligence agents for installing the bomb onboard the plane in 1991. Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi, one of the men, was sentenced to life in prison. Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, the other suspect, was found not guilty.
2. What became of the main suspect, Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi?
   Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the main suspect, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. After he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Scottish officials freed Al-Megrahi for humanitarian reasons in 2009. In 2012, he died in Libya.