Foiled Plot to Massacre Jews in Greater Manchester Uncovered
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, identified as Islamic State sleeper agents living in Britain, plotted a mass attack targeting Jewish communities in Greater Manchester. They planned to disguise themselves as Jews to infiltrate an anti-Semitism march in Manchester and open fire on the crowd with assault rifles.
The attackers aimed to create chaos by paying people to make 999 emergency calls to overwhelm the services, allowing Saadaoui and Hussein to escape and carry out further attacks in suburban Jewish communities. Christians were also intended to be targeted subsequently.
The plot was foiled by an undercover counter-terrorism officer codenamed Farouk. Saadaoui was arrested on May 8, 2024, in a hotel car park, while Hussein was detained at his place of work in Bolton. Prosecutors described Saadaoui as willing to kill children. His brother, Bilel Saadaoui, was convicted of failing to report the plot. Both Saadaoui and Hussein were convicted of preparing acts of terrorism.
Both men had lived in the United Kingdom for several years. Saadaoui worked in tourism and hospitality, harbored antisemitic views, and maintained ten Facebook accounts to spread Islamic State propaganda. The duo conducted reconnaissance trips to Dover in spring 2024 to study the port as a potential site for weapon delivery. The firearms used in the operation were deactivated during the sting.
Senior detectives described the plot as potentially the worst terrorist attack the UK had experienced.
