Two men who plotted a mass-casualty gun attack aimed at British Jews—an assault police say could have become the deadliest terrorist atrocity in UK history—have been found guilty after their plan was dismantled by an undercover operative.

Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were convicted at Preston Crown Court of planning acts of terrorism after prosecutors revealed an ISIS-inspired scheme to slaughter Jewish civilians in Greater Manchester. A third man, Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was convicted of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.

The court heard that Walid Saadaoui harbored a “visceral dislike” of Jewish people and was determined to carry out a large-scale shooting at a Jewish gathering, deliberately seeking out firearms and ammunition because lesser weapons were, in his words, “not good enough.”

“He saw it as his duty to kill as many Jewish people as he could,” prosecutors said.

Between December 2023 and May 2024, Saadaoui and Hussein actively planned the attack, scouting areas of Greater Manchester with significant Jewish populations and discussing the murder of any police officers who might intervene. Their goal, the jury heard, was not simply an attack—but mass slaughter.

Unbeknownst to them, the men were communicating with an undercover counter-terrorism officer they believed to be a fellow extremist, known to them as “Farouk.” In reality, Farouk was methodically exposing their plot from the inside.

At Saadaoui’s urging, Farouk claimed he could arrange for semi-automatic weapons to be smuggled into the UK from Europe. On May 8, Saadaoui was arrested in a Bolton hotel car park after arriving to collect what he believed was an arsenal: two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition. Authorities later confirmed that counter-terrorism police had controlled the weapons at every stage to ensure public safety.

Hussein and Bilel Saadaoui were arrested minutes later at separate locations.

The trial revealed chilling details of Saadaoui’s mindset. Prosecutors said he intended to “martyr himself,” had prepared a will, handed his brother tens of thousands of pounds in cash, and arranged access to his possessions to support his family after the planned massacre.

While Bilel Saadaoui was not set to participate directly in the attack, the jury heard he was fully aware of the plot and shared extremist sympathies. Jurors were shown WhatsApp messages reflecting hatred toward Jews, including one in which Bilel shared a news story about Jewish victims killed in a bridge collapse, adding the hashtag “Beloved Palestine.”

Following the verdicts, Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts issued a stark warning.

“What Walid Saadaoui was trying to achieve was a terrorist attack on the Jewish community that, given the weaponry and ammunition involved, could potentially have been the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history,” Potts said.

“He made it clear that knives or vehicles were not sufficient. He wanted maximum casualties.”

Potts praised the undercover operative whose actions stopped the attack before it could unfold.

“There was very real risk and danger for Farouk,” he said. “His courage, bravery, and professionalism undoubtedly saved lives.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)