Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty of preparing a terrorist act, with the court hearing the pair planning to carry out an attack with automatic weapons at a march against anti-Semitism in the summer of 2024 and then carry out further attacks in other areas of north Manchester. Prosecutors said they intended to fire into the crowd with AK-47 assault rifles, which could have caused many casualties, including children.
According to the BBC, their plan was uncovered thanks to an undercover accomplice who gained Saadaoui's trust and posed as an accomplice in securing the weapons. In May 2024, police intervened in a major operation and arrested Saadaoui in a hotel car park in Bolton, while he was going to collect weapons that had actually been deactivated.
Investigations revealed that Saadaoui had used several fake Facebook accounts to spread extremist views and gather information about Jewish community activities. He had also made personal preparations, including drafting a will, as he planned to “die as a martyr” during the attack.
The pair had also travelled to Dover to see how they could smuggle weapons into the country, and had also conducted surveillance near Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses in the north of the city.
Meanwhile, Walid Saadaoui's brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was sentenced to six years in prison for failing to report information about terrorist acts, even though he did not participate in the plan, he was aware of it.
