Two men, Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, have been jailed for life for planning to target the Jewish community in Manchester, according to a report by the BBC.
The pair arranged for guns to be smuggled into the UK as part of an Isis-inspired plot, Preston Crown Court heard. They were caught by an undercover operative who played a crucial role in foiling their plans, Greater Manchester Police said.
Saadaoui and Hussein were given minimum prison terms of 37 and 26 years respectively. No specific attack target site or date was identified, but prosecutors said the men planned to launch a gun assault on a march against antisemitism by the end of summer 2024.
Police Response
Counter-terrorism police intervened on 8 May 2024, with more than 200 officers involved, as Saadaoui was arrested at a hotel car park in Bolton when he went to collect some of the firearms, which had been deactivated.
Minutes after the hotel car park arrest, Hussein and Saadaoui's younger brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, both elsewhere, were also arrested. Bilel Saadaoui was convicted of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism and has been jailed for six years.
Investigation
The trial heard that Saadaoui had been planning to 'martyr himself' in the attack. He had prepared a will and had left a copy with his brother, along with tens of thousands of pounds in cash to help provide for his family.
Mr Justice Wall commended the bravery of the undercover operative, Farouk, adding it was 'a dangerous and difficult job'. He said: 'He undertook it with great skill and patience. He has potentially saved many lives by putting his own life on the line.'
