Two men jailed for 63 years for plotting gun attack on Jewish community in UK

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.”