|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Two Islamic State supporters have been convicted of planning a mass-casualty gun attack targeting Manchester’s Jewish community.
A jury at Preston Crown Court found Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, guilty on Tuesday. The court heard evidence of an extensive plan involving automatic weapons, surveillance of Jewish areas, and preparations for a suicide-style assault. Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was also convicted of failing to disclose information about the plot.
Greater Manchester Police said an attack in a crowded area would have had “catastrophic” consequences.
Three men have been convicted for a foiled terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in #Manchester.
ACC Rob Potts: “This was one of the most significant plot disruptions in recent years. The consequences could have been devastating.”
More here: https://t.co/nxD6fzzleW pic.twitter.com/mG7yqmvUWa
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) December 23, 2025
A Targeted Plan Against Jews
Prosecutors described a detailed plan aimed at killing Jews in Manchester. Saadaoui and Hussein sought assault rifles, handguns, and large quantities of ammunition. Saadaoui told an undercover officer the attack would begin with Jews. He added that any Christian victims would be “a bonus.”
The court heard that Saadaoui admired Abdelhamid Abaaoud, mastermind of the November 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris, France. He wanted to carry out a similar operation in the UK. He spoke openly about killing indiscriminately, including children and the elderly.
Saadaoui also carried out reconnaissance in Jewish neighborhoods. He walked past schools, synagogues, nurseries, and kosher businesses while describing how the attack would unfold.
Weapons, Codes, and an Undercover Operation
Saadaoui sold his home to finance the plot and withdrew large sums of cash. He used coded language in messages, calling firearms “goldfinches” and ammunition “bird seed.”
Police ran a covert operation using an undercover officer known as “Farouk.” Officers supplied deactivated weapons as part of the sting. On 8 May last year, police arrested Saadaoui as he collected the first shipment from a rented vehicle at a Lancashire hotel. Body-worn footage showed armed officers intercepting him moments later.
Authorities said Operation Catogenic was the largest and most complex covert counter-terrorism investigation ever conducted in the North West.
Gaza as Justification, Jews as Target
Saadaoui claimed the planned attack was retaliation for Israeli military action in Gaza. However, recordings played in court showed Jews were the explicit target.
During planning discussions, Saadaoui said the attackers should start with Jews before expanding the violence. In other recordings, he praised Hitler and called Jews “pigs and monkeys.” He described how victims would be trapped during an attack.
Investigators also revealed that Saadaoui joined online groups linked to Manchester’s Jewish population. He used them to monitor gatherings and events.
A Wider Terror Network
Hussein, a former Iraqi soldier living in Bolton, played a central role in the plot. He refused to attend much of his trial. When police arrested him, officers found knives in his car. He later made statements expressing pride in terrorism and claimed religious justification for violence.
Security services also believed Saadaoui previously had contact with a UK-based extremist. That individual left Britain to join ISIS in 2013 and later died.
Bilel Saadaoui did not face charges for planning the attack. However, the jury found that he failed to disclose information about the terrorist plot despite knowing key details.
Jewish Leaders Warn of Ongoing Threat
Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust (CST), praised police for stopping what he described as an exceptionally deadly plot.
He said the individuals behind the plan were “incredibly dangerous” and warned that the details revealed in court would leave many deeply shaken.
“To hear now that somebody was trying to obtain weapons and had put together a meticulous attack plan to go and kill as many Jews as possible,” Gardner said, “I think will make people very, very fearful.”
Gardner added that the attack “may well have been the worst terrorist act in British history.”
He also stressed that such threats are part of a long pattern.
“Jews in Britain, and all over the world, have suffered terrorist attacks from the 1960s onwards,” Gardner said. “The names of the perpetrators change, the nature of the attacks is exactly the same.”
Gardner warned that the ideology driving the plot mirrors the most extreme antisemitism of the twentieth century.
“The ideology of jihad is like the ideology of Nazism,” he said. “They want to kill Jews, end of story.”
This past October, two Jewish worshipers were murdered in a ramming and stabbing attack perpetrated by an Islamist terrorist outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
