Two Islamic State extremists who planned a mass shooting against Manchester’s Jewish community have been found guilty after a major counter-terrorism operation stopped the attack, according to Sky News. 38-year-old Walid Saadaoui and 52-year-old Amar Hussein were convicted on Tuesday of plotting a deadly gun assault inspired by previous terrorist atrocities. A third man, Saadaoui’s brother Bilel Saddaoui, was also found guilty of failing to disclose information about the plot.Police said the attack could have been the ‘deadliest act’ of terrorism in British history.
Plot to target Jewish community
According to court documents, Saadaoui and Hussein planned a gun attack on Jewish targets in Manchester, using assault rifles and handguns. Prosecutors said the men intended to kill as many people as possible, with Saadaoui telling an undercover officer that Christians caught up in the attack would be “a bonus”.Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said the consequences of an attack in a crowded area would have been “catastrophic”.
Inspired by the 2015 Paris attacks
Saadaoui was said to have idolised Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader of the 2015 Paris attacks, and wanted to copy those killings in which 130 people died. He sold his home and used the money to buy four AK-47 rifles, two handguns and 1,200 rounds of ammunition for €5,000.
Background of both suspects
Saadaoui carried out surveillance trips with an undercover officer known as “Farouk”, discussing attacks on schools and gatherings. During one visit, he said: “Young, old, women, elderly, the whole lot, killing them all.”He was arrested on May 8 last year during a sting operation as he collected deactivated firearms supplied by police from the boot of a rented car at a Lancashire hotel. Body-cam footage showed him running across the car park before being tackled by armed officers.Hussein is a former Iraqi soldier who arrived in the UK in 2006. He worked at an appliance shop in Bolton and lived on the premises. The pair planned to recruit others, disguise themselves in Jewish clothing, and move between locations while also targeting police and emergency responders.
Beekeeping, bird seed as codes?
At his home, Saadaoui used his beekeeping hobby as code for weapons, referring to guns as goldfinches and ammunition as bird seed. He and Hussein twice visited the White Cliffs near Dover, posing as tourists while checking port security, believing weapons would be smuggled from France.MI5 began investigating Saadaoui in November 2023 after he posted ISIS material online using multiple false Facebook accounts. An undercover officer warned that Saadaoui would “kill a lot of people” if police did not intervene.In recorded conversations, Saadaoui praised previous attacks and spoke openly about mass killing. On Christmas Day 2023, he said: “These matters of running someone over with a car or using a knife is ineffective, what is needed is an automatic gun.”Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, praised police for stopping an attack that “may well have been the worst terrorist act in British history”.Assistant Chief Constable Potts described Saadaoui as an “extremely dangerous man” and Hussein as a “fanatical terrorist.” Go to Source
