The U.K. is to stop sharing intelligence about the Manchester bombing with the U.S. following a series of leaks which British authorities say are damaging to the investigation, the BBC reports.
British officials were outraged when photos of debris from the attack were leaked and published in the New York Times, the BBC said on Thursday. The images vividly show part of the explosive device and jacket worn by the suicide bomber.
Though the Times did not disclose how it sourced the images, a senior U.S. law enforcement official authenticated the photos and said they had been provided to American investigators by British authorities.
Leaked information about the identity of the assailant – now confirmed as Salman Abedi – also emerged in U.S. media less than 24 hours after the attack against the U.K.’s wishes.
British Home Secretary Amber Rudd described the leaks as “irritating” and insisted that they “should not happen again.”
A Whitehall source added: “We are furious. This is completely unacceptable,” according to the BBC.
The attack, which killed 22 people and injured scores more during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on Monday, is set to be top of the agenda when British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday.
The pair are to meet in Brussels for scheduled talks between EU and NATO leaders, though discussions over the latest attack by an Islamist extremist are expected to dominate alongside other topics including defense, trade, and the environment.
“The Manchester attack certainly will be discussed and will be discussed among all leaders,” a spokesperson for 10 Downing Street told CNBC Thursday, ahead of the meeting.
She added that she could not confirm whether the Prime Minister would discuss the topic of “apparent U.S. leaks.”
However, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization told CNBC in Brussels that any such matters would be discussed bilaterally, and not during wider discussions.
“The issue related to the Manchester attack is a bilateral issue between the U.K. and U.S. It’s not for me to comment on that,” said Stoltenberg.
British police have so far arrested eight men and one woman in relation to the attack.
The arrests include the attacker’s older brother, Ismail Abedi.
Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said Wednesday afternoon that the arrests indicate that there was a “network” behind the attack.
Investigators have also indicated that the assailant had visited Germany days before the attack.
-Additional reporting from CNBC’s Silvia Amaro and Hadley Gamble.