Two men accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community in northwestern England went on trial Wednesday, in a case prosecutors say could have resulted in “hundreds of innocent deaths.”

The 12-week trial, which opened at Preston Crown Court, centers on Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, who were arrested in May 2024 after what police described as a “complex, intelligence-led operation.” Both men are charged with preparing acts of terrorism. Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, faces an additional charge for allegedly failing to disclose information about the planned attacks. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Saadaoui and Hussein “embraced the views of the so-called Islamic State” and were willing to die as martyrs. Lead prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu told jurors that Saadaoui attempted to smuggle two assault rifles and an automatic pistol into the United Kingdom and arranged for the delivery of three more firearms and ammunition.

The weapons, Sandhu said, were similar to those used in the 2015 Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people and were “capable of causing untold harm.” The prosecution claims the pair planned to identify “a mass gathering of Jewish people” to target and intended to kill any police officers who intervened.

The plan was ultimately foiled by an undercover operative known to the suspects only as “Farouk,” who posed as a collaborator but was working with British intelligence.

During Wednesday’s opening arguments, Hussein interrupted the proceedings, shouting, “How many babies?” as prosecutors described the alleged plot.

Authorities say the case is not connected to the Yom Kippur terrorist attack on a Manchester shul in the Crumpsall neighborhood, which left two people dead and three wounded. Presiding Judge Mark Wall told jurors that the timing of the trial was “purely coincidental.”

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson acknowledged that the trial may heighten anxiety in the city’s Jewish community but urged calm and vigilance.

“As the evidence in this case is presented to the court and reported upon, I am acutely aware of the potential for emerging detail to have a further unsettling effect on our Jewish community in particular,” Watson said. “Every available officer in Greater Manchester will continue to be deployed over the coming days and weeks in a manner which I hope will provide reassurance.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)