'Kill as Many Jews as Possible': How 200 Officers Stopped ISIS Plot Targeting Manchester Synagogues and Schools

Two Islamic State extremists have been convicted of plotting what police describe as potentially the deadliest terrorist attack in British history, targeting Jewish schools, synagogues, and community gatherings in Manchester with smuggled assault rifles.

The elaborate scheme was foiled after an undercover operative successfully infiltrated the group and exposed their deadly intentions. Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty at Preston Crown Court of preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024. Saadaoui's brother Bilel, 36, was convicted of failing to disclose information about the murderous plan.

Elaborate Weapons Smuggling Operation Exposed

The main instigator, Saadaoui, a Tunisian father-of-two, had arranged to smuggle four AK-47 assault rifles, two handguns, and 900 rounds of ammunition into the United Kingdom. He paid a deposit for the weapons months before his arrest, believing he was coordinating with a like-minded extremist. However, his supposed accomplice was actually an undercover operative known in court as Farouk, whose infiltration proved crucial in dismantling the plot.

Saadaoui told the operative he could independently obtain a firearm via Sweden and indicated plans to bring guns from eastern Europe. He had separately purchased an air weapon and visited a shooting range in preparation. The court heard that Saadaoui hero-worshipped IS terrorist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who orchestrated the 2015 Paris attacks that killed more than 130 people.

Surveillance of Jewish Community Targets

Prosecutors revealed that whilst no specific date was identified, the defendants planned to launch a gun assault on an antisemitism march before heading to north Manchester to kill more Jews. Saadaoui had joined the Facebook group of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester using one of his 10 fake accounts, gaining access to details of a 'March Against Antisemitism' held in the city centre on 21 January last year, which thousands attended.

Days after the march, Saadaoui told Farouk: 'Here in Manchester, we have the biggest Jewish community. God willing we will degrade and humiliate them (in the worst way possible), and hit them where it hurts'. In March 2024, Saadaoui travelled to Prestwich and Higher Broughton in north Manchester, conducting surveillance on Jewish nurseries, schools, synagogues, and shops.

Dover Reconnaissance and Final Arrest

Saadaoui recruited fellow IS sympathiser Hussein, a Kuwaiti national who worked and lived at a furniture shop in Bolton. In March 2024, the pair travelled to Dover, Kent, to conduct hostile reconnaissance on how weapons could be smuggled through the port. Both men returned to Dover two months later, believing they were watching the firearms enter the country.

Counter-terrorism police intervened on the planned strike day of 8 May, with Saadaoui arrested at a hotel car park in Bolton when he arrived to collect the firearms, which had been deactivated. During police interviews, Hussein defended his ideology, telling detectives: 'Your Government, your Prime Minister has sent weapons to kill our children in Israel. Terrorism is our religion. Koran say terrorism is normal. We are proud, we say terrorism is proud'.

Defence Claims Rejected by Jury

Giving evidence, Saadaoui, of Abram, Wigan, denied having an extreme ideology and claimed he was 'playing along' with Farouk. He insisted his intention was to sabotage the plans before they came to fruition, even claiming he planned to cut up the weapons with an angle grinder and then alert authorities. Hussein, of no fixed address, told detectives he was not part of any terror attack plan and dismissed the undercover operative's evidence as 'fantasy'. His barrister argued that whilst Hussein held 'very firm opinions' about the conflict in Gaza, that did not make him a terrorist. The jury rejected both defences.

An Unsung Hero

Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts of Greater Manchester Police emphasised the scale of the threat, stating: 'What Walid Saadaoui was trying to achieve was a terrorist attack on the Jewish community that given the weaponry involved could potentially have been the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history'. The case underscores the vital importance of undercover operations in modern policing, with Potts praising Farouk's courage: 'There was very real risk and danger for Farouk who undoubtedly saved lives. I cannot overemphasise his courage, bravery and professionalism in the role that he played'.

The successful infiltration and prevention of this attack represents a significant victory for UK counter-terrorism efforts and highlights the evolving tactics used by extremists to evade detection. Saadaoui's use of 10 fake Facebook accounts to spread Islamic extremist views and gather intelligence on potential targets demonstrates how social media platforms continue to be exploited for terrorist planning.