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Manchester attack plot convictions
Preston Crown Court has jailed two men for life after jurors found them guilty of plotting an ISIS-inspired mass shooting targeting Manchester's Jewish community.
“Two men, Walid Saadaoui (38) and Amar Hussein (52), have been convicted and jailed for life for plotting an Isis‑inspired mass shooting targeting Manchester’s Jewish community.”
Walid Saadaoui, 38, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 37 years, and co-defendant Amar Hussein, 52, was given life with a minimum of 26 years.
A third man, Saadaoui's brother Bilel, was jailed for failing to disclose information.
The convictions followed a three-month trial in which the jury found the defendants guilty of preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024.
Judges and police warned the plan could have been among the deadliest terrorist attacks on British soil had it succeeded.
Prosecutors' account of plot
Prosecutors described detailed preparations including reconnaissance of nurseries, schools, synagogues and shops in north Manchester.
They described tours of Dover as a potential smuggling route and plans to smuggle multiple military-style firearms and large quantities of ammunition into the UK.
Sources report differing figures for weapons and rounds: several outlets described four AK-47s and two handguns with approximately 900 rounds, while Sky News reported 1,200 rounds.
The Independent, Straits Times and Metro all note the defendants carried out target surveillance and used fake social media accounts to post extremist material that prompted the investigation.
Undercover operative and arrest
An undercover operative infiltrated the cell, posed as a like-minded extremist and supplied deactivated weapons that were intercepted by police, a fact emphasised across local, national and tabloid reporting.
“An undercover operative known as “Farouk” infiltrated and monitored the plot, ensuring weapons supplied were deactivated and helping prevent the attack.”
Sources use different codenames for the officer—"Farouk" appears in The Bolton News, Manchester Evening News, Metro and The Independent, while the Daily Mail describes the operative as "Abu Bilal."
Police executed a large operation involving more than 200 officers: Saadaoui was arrested on 8 May 2024 while collecting the shipment at a hotel/Bolton car park, and surveillance footage and recorded contacts helped secure convictions.
ISIS-inspired antisemitic motive
Judges and police described the motive and ideology driving the defendants as rooted in ISIS support and violent antisemitism.
Several outlets report the pair embraced ISIS ideology, praised Paris attacker Abdelhamid Abaaoud and framed their plan as revenge for Israel's actions after October 7.
Sky News and Daily Mail explicitly link the plot to retaliation for Israeli actions in Gaza, while local coverage stresses the antisemitic targeting of Jewish schools, synagogues and shops.
Threat and local response
Judges, Greater Manchester Police and local organisations stressed the plot’s potential to cause mass casualties and pledged reassurance to the Jewish community.
“The court heard the plot would likely have been one of the deadliest firearm attacks in the UK.”
Multiple outlets quote judicial warnings that the scheme "would likely have been one of the deadliest terror attacks" on British soil.
Local reports say the case heightened anxiety among Jewish residents and prompted cooperation with groups such as the Community Security Trust.
Saadaoui’s brother Bilel received a six-year term for failing to disclose information, and authorities praised the covert teams that intervened and emphasised the importance of counter-terrorism policing.