Two men were found guilty of plotting to kill hundreds of Jews in a jihad-inspired terror attack on Tuesday.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, planned on acquiring AK-47s and attacking a massive anti-antisemitism march in the Manchester city center, before shifting targets to a predominantly Jewish area in north Manchester. They intended to cause mass fatalities and kill any intervening police.
Three men have been convicted for a foiled terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in #Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) December 23, 2025
ACC Rob Potts: “This was one of the most significant plot disruptions in recent years. The consequences could have been devastating.”
More here: https://t.co/nxD6fzzleW pic.twitter.com/mG7yqmvUWa
The pair had reportedly been inspired by ISIS, and its 2015 terror attack in Paris that left 130 people killed, and more than 350 injured.
Saadoui is a Tunisian national; however, Hussein has no reported country of origin.
According to prosecutors, Saadaoui had arranged for two assault rifles, an automatic pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Britain through the port of Dover. They added that Saadaoui had planned to acquire two more rifles, another pistol, and at least 900 additional rounds. The pair was also looking to recruit at least two others to help them carry out the attack.
Saadaoui’s younger brother is also on trial, accused of failing to alert the authorities. He was asked to take part in the plot and, though he refused, he still did not report it.
Terror Plot Foiled in Manchester 😡💥
— 🇬🇧British and Proud🇬🇧 (@unionjackspirit) December 23, 2025
Two men plotted a gun attack targeting the Jewish community in Greater Manchester. Walid Saadaoui, 38, & Amar Hussein, 52, driven by a “visceral dislike,” tried to smuggle guns into the UK in an ISIS-inspired plan.
Saadaoui’s brother,… pic.twitter.com/jKsvH8QRuQ
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If they had been able to carry out their attack, it would have resulted in "one of, if not the, deadliest terrorist attack in UK history," the Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts, in charge of Counter-Terrorism Policing in northwest England, said.
"Based on Walid's communications and interactions with the undercover operative, and some of the things he said, that made it very clear that he regarded a less sophisticated attack with less lethal weaponry as not being good enough," Potts said. "Because, in effect, it was his role and his duty to kill as many Jewish people as he could, and that wasn't going to be achieved via the use of a knife or, for example, potentially a vehicle as a weapon."
"To hear now that somebody was trying to obtain weapons and had put together a meticulous attack plan to go and kill as many Jews as possible, to hear that I think will make people very, very fearful," Mark Gardner, chief executive of Jewish charity the Community Security Trust, said. "It may well have been the worst terrorist act in British history. Jews in Britain, and all over the world, have suffered terrorist attacks from the 1960s onwards. The names of the perpetrators change, the nature of the attacks is exactly the same."
The ideology of jihad is like the ideology of Nazism. They want to kill Jews. They don't care who those Jews are. They don't stop to ask these Jews what their opinion is of Israel, or whether they support Manchester United, or anything. They want to kill Jews, end of story. It's the same as Nazis.
This comes shortly after an antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration, that left 15 dead and over 40 injured. European countries, alongside Australia, have failed to address growing problems of antisemitism in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks by Hamas in 2023. That, combined with the issues of mass migration, has made these countries ripe grounds for Islamic extremists to plan and carry out several terror attacks.
U.S. officials are attempting to avoid following in their footsteps.
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