Two Men Jailed for Life Over Thwarted Terror Plot Targeting Manchester's Jewish Community
Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to carry out one of the UK's deadliest terrorist attacks, which was foiled by an undercover operative. Walid Saadaoui, aged 38, and Amar Hussein, aged 52, planned a marauding firearms assault on Greater Manchester's Jewish community, but their plot was disrupted before any harm could be inflicted.
Sentencing and Details of the Plot
At Preston Crown Court on Friday, Saadaoui, the prime mover in the conspiracy, was ordered to serve a minimum of 37 years in prison. Hussein, his accomplice, received a minimum term of 26 years. Both men had sworn allegiance to Islamic State (IS) and were found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024. A third individual, Bilel Saadaoui, Walid's 37-year-old brother, was sentenced to six years for failing to disclose information about the plan.
The court heard that Saadaoui, a former Italian restaurant owner and hotel entertainer from Abram, Wigan, orchestrated the purchase and delivery of semi-automatic rifles, conducted reconnaissance, and identified specific targets. However, the man supplying the weapons was actually an undercover operative known as Farouk, who had infiltrated jihadist social media networks and convinced Saadaoui he was a fellow extremist.
Execution and Foiling of the Attack
Saadaoui was arrested in a major counter-terrorism operation involving over 200 officers on 8 May 2024, as he attempted to take possession of two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition in the car park of the Last Drop hotel in Bolton. The weapons had been deactivated by authorities. The plot involved disguising themselves as Jews to attack an antisemitism march in Manchester city centre before targeting suburbs north of the city, home to one of Europe's largest Jewish communities.
Justice Wall, presiding over the case, stated that if successful, the attack would likely have been one of the deadliest ever on British soil, potentially causing numerous deaths and serious injuries. He emphasized the planned use of AK-47s to fire into a crowd of unarmed marchers, with the capability to discharge 120 bullets before reloading.
Background and Motivations
Saadaoui, who used Facebook to disseminate Islamic State propaganda, had been considering a lone knife attack for years but escalated his plans after the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023. He recruited Hussein, a Kuwaiti national based in Bolton believed to have served in Saddam Hussein's army, to assist. The pair conducted surveillance in Dover, Kent, in March 2024 to explore smuggling weapons through the port, and Saadaoui later scouted Jewish nurseries, schools, synagogues, and shops in Prestwich and Higher Broughton.
Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts of Greater Manchester Police praised Farouk's courage and professionalism, noting that the plot, given the weaponry involved, could have been the deadliest in UK history. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson highlighted the ongoing threats faced by Jewish communities, referencing past incidents like the Manchester synagogue attack and global manifestations of hatred.
