Saturday, February 14 2026 - Two extremists have been jailed for life after plotting an Islamic State-inspired mass murder targeting Jewish people in Greater Manchester.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were convicted of
preparing acts of terrorism between 13 December 2023 and 9 May 2024.
Prosecutors said the pair harboured a deep hatred of Jewish people and intended
to cause widespread harm at a large community event where Countdown presenter
Rachel Riley was due to speak
Saadaoui was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum
term of 37 years, while Hussein received a life sentence with a minimum of 26
years
Jurors heard that the two men embraced extremist ideology
linked to Islamic State. Saadaoui, described as the mastermind, sought to
obtain four AK-47 assault rifles, two handguns and 900 rounds of ammunition to
carry out the planned attack.
He had previously come to the attention of authorities after
creating multiple Facebook profiles to spread extremist content. After
recruiting Hussein, a Kuwaiti national, the pair travelled to Dover in March
2024 to assess how weapons could be smuggled into the country.
The plot was foiled on May 8, 2024, after the men
unknowingly revealed details of their plans to an undercover operative who had
infiltrated extremist online networks and posed as a fellow radical.
Saadaoui, a father of two originally from Tunisia, paid a
deposit for firearms and was arrested at a hotel car park in Bolton when he
attempted to collect what he believed was a shipment of weapons.
Although no specific date had been set for the attack,
prosecutors said it was intended to target a march against antisemitism in the
Manchester area.
Sentencing the pair, Justice Wall said: “I am sure this
would have led to the deaths of many people and serious injuries to many, many
more. Your plan envisaged you and two others discharging AK-47s into a large
crowd of marchers, who were unarmed and defenceless.
“One hundred and twenty bullets could have been discharged
before any reloads were required. You planned to have spare magazines
available. Your attack would have led to the deaths of people of all ages,
including children.”
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson
said the case underscored the seriousness of the threat facing Jewish
communities.
“We are seeing the manifestation of hatred moving beyond our
shores globally and this is a threat to all of us,” he said. “It is a threat to
our Jewish communities, and if our Jewish communities are under threat, we are
all under threat.”
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