United Kingdom: Man convicted of plotting jihad attack on Jews claims ISIS are the “real Muslims” who enforce Sharia

Image: Jihad Watch

A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced two men to life imprisonment after convicting them of plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack inspired by the extremist group Islamic State. The convicted individuals, Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were arrested in May 2024 following a counter-terrorism investigation that uncovered plans to target a Jewish community gathering in the northern English city of Manchester. Prosecutors revealed that the pair intended to attack an antisemitism march before carrying out further shootings against Jewish residents across the city.

Authorities were able to thwart the plot after the two men disclosed details of their plans to an undercover operative who had posed as a fellow extremist willing to help them acquire weapons. The conspiracy, which unfolded between December 2023 and May 2024, involved attempts to procure a significant arsenal, including four AK-47 assault rifles, two handguns, and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition, which Saadaoui allegedly planned to smuggle into the country. Evidence presented in court also showed that he had conducted reconnaissance trips in north Manchester, surveying Jewish nurseries, schools, synagogues, and businesses as potential targets.

During the trial, jurors heard that Saadaoui idolised Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a notorious extremist figure linked to major terrorist operations in Europe, and that he had recruited Hussein to assist with the preparations. Both men were ultimately found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism by a jury last year. Delivering the sentence, Judge Michael Wall stated that, had the attack been carried out successfully, it would likely have become one of the deadliest terrorist incidents ever witnessed on British soil, underscoring the scale of violence the conspirators had intended.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)