Two Muslim men in Britain linked to the Islamic State group were arrested for allegedly plotting a suicide attack on the Jewish community in Manchester after purchasing rifles, handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, prosecutors said.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, who lives near Wigan, was detained by undercover officers in Bolton as he received the weapons. Before the trial opened, the judge told jurors the case was unrelated to last week’s Yom Kippur synagogue attack in Manchester, which left two Jewish worshippers dead. “This case concerns an alleged conspiracy to kill Jews in Manchester,” the judge said. “It is coincidental and not connected to the attack last week.”
Saadaoui and co-defendant Amar Hussein, 52, are accused of plotting a terrorist attack, conducting reconnaissance and purchasing firearms. Prosecutor Joanne Cecil told the jury that the weapons and ammunition Saadaoui sought “were capable of causing massive damage — and that is exactly what Saadaoui and Hussein planned.”
According to the Daily Mail, Saadaoui intended to carry out “mass killing.” Prosecutors said the two men planned to “kill as many members of the Jewish community as possible, particularly in northwest England,” and had identified Jewish neighborhoods in Manchester for the attack. They allegedly intended to strike during a mass gathering and “kill any police officer who stood in their way.”
Images found on Hussein’s phone included exterior and interior photos of the Manchester Jewish Museum, dated July 18, 2022, as well as pictures of firearms. Prosecutors described both men as ISIS supporters “ready to become martyrs.”
By May 2024, the men had allegedly finalized preparations for their attack, including accepting that they would die in the process. Saadaoui’s younger brother, Bilal, 36, from Hindley near Wigan, was also charged with failing to disclose information about terrorism.
Authorities were able to arrest Saadaoui in a sting operation because the suspects had been plotting with a third man named “Farooq,” who was, in fact, an undercover officer.
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Police forces on Yom Kippur near the scene of the Manchester attack
(Photo: Paul Currie / AFP)
Inside their car, police found two rifles, a handgun and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition. Prosecutors said Saadaoui had paid for the smuggling of the weapons and was expecting to receive two more rifles, another handgun and additional ammunition. In total, he allegedly possessed six firearms and at least 900 rounds — the same types used in the 2015 Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people.
The trial of the two suspects is ongoing.