Three men were convicted this week for over a planned ISIS-inspired mass shooting terror attack against Manchester’s Jewish community in an act of supposed revenge over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Palestine.
Tunisian migrant Walid Saadaoui, 38, who migrated to the UK after marrying an English woman, and Amar Hussein, 52, were convicted at the Preston Crown Court this week of preparation of an Islamist terrorist act. Though not directly involved in the plot, Saadaoui’s son, Bilel Saadaoui, 37, was also convicted of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism.
Saadaoui and Hussein are said to have sought to smuggle firearms, including AK-47s and hundreds of rounds of ammunition to the United Kingdom, as a part of an “ISIS-inspired plot” targeting Jewish people of the Greater Manchester area in retaliation for the conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
In posts on social media under the pseudonym of Bataclan terrorist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, Saadaoui said that he wanted to “avenge” Islam from the “Jews and the Crusaders”, The Telegraph reported.
Speaking with an undercover agent who called himself Farouk, Saadaoui said in 2023 that using a knife was “ineffective, what is needed is an automatic gun,” adding: “We want to do the same as what Abaaoud done, God willing. We must run rivers of their impure blood.”
He later told the undercover officer that he wanted to kill at least 50 people, saying: “Grab a Jewish person and slaughter him and remove his head, rub blood on my body, throw it away. That is the least we can do.”
Saadaoui further said that he was planning on disguising himself as a Jewish person during the attack, which he said should take place during a protest against antisemitism. “When they do that it is a beautiful, beautiful, very beautiful time,” he said.
During an apparent reconnosance mission, the pair passed by Jewish schools, nurseries, restaruants, synagogues, and a Kosher supermarket in the heavily Jewish areas of Prestwich and Higher Broughton. While discussing their plan, Saadaoui called Jews “pigs and monkeys” and said: “Hitler, may God be exalted, was burning them, the Jews. Did you know?”
The Tunisian migrant later gave the under cover officer €4,300 in exchnge for the purchase of firearms, which Farouk said he could aquire from “brothers” in Morocco. Farouk also introduced him to Amar Hussein, who police said was “an individual considered to be like-minded and also looking to be involved with the plot.”
As Saadaoui attempted to pick up the promised weapons in the car park of the Last Drop Village Hotel in Bolton in May of 2024, he was arrested with two rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, all of which were deactivated by counter terrorism authorities before the fake handoff.
Following his arrest, a search of his home revealed a cashpile of £74,000 in a safe hidden under the floorboards of an outhouse. During his trial, Saadaoui attempted to claim that he was being threatened by an ISIS official to post extremist content online and to help plan an attack.
For his part, Amar Hussein was arrested with two knives in his car. Although he denied involvement in the plan to obtain weapons for an attack on Jews, Hussein said during his trial: “Don’t talk s—. How many babies? How many children? Don’t talk s—. We defend ourselves.”
He also admitted to being a supporter of ISIS, saying: “Yes. They are Muslim, that’s it. They make Sharia. They are real Muslims. Islamic law for everything.”
Following their conviction, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, said: “Today marks the culmination of one of the most significant terrorist plot disruptions we have seen in the UK for several years.
“Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein intended to target members of the Jewish community in an evil act born out of hate and intolerance. If they had been successful then what followed would have been devastating and potentially one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on UK soil.”
The three men have been remanded to custody and will face a sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court in February.
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