Islamist terror suspects ‘bought assault rifles, handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in plot to kill Jews in Manchester in attack likened to Paris 2015 massacre’

Two extremists inspired by Islamic State bought assault rifles, handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition as they prepared for a suicide attack on the Jewish community in Manchester, a court has heard

Walid Saadaoui, 38, from Abram, near Wigan, was arrested by police in a car park in Bolton as he took delivery of the weapons, following an undercover sting operation.

Before the trial started, Mr Justice Wall told the jury: ‘The case is centred on an alleged plot to kill Jewish people in Manchester.

‘We are trying that against the background what happened in Manchester last week. It’s coincidental, it is no part of the prosecution’s case that any of these defendants had anything to do with what happened at the synagogue in Manchester last week.

‘You must try them fairly without reference or thought as to what happened there. It is for the purposes of this trial irrelevant.’

The jury at Preston Crown Court was played police bodyworn footage that showed Saadaoui running from officers as they approached to arrest him on May 8 last year.

He is accused with Amar Hussein, 52, of preparing a terrorist attack by making plans for an attack, conducting reconnaissance, and arranging the purchase and delivery of firearms.

Harpreet Sandhu KC, prosecuting, told the jury: ‘The firearms and ammunition Walid Saadaoui was about to receive were capable of causing untold harm.

‘Untold harm was precisely what Walid Saadaoui had planned to cause together with Amar Hussein.’

As soon as Hussein’s name was mentioned, he shouted across the court: ‘Don’t talk s***, how many babies, how many children? Don’t talk s***, we defend ourselves.’

The court rose and the judge, Mr Justice Wall later told the jury: ‘I am sorry about that, members of the jury.

‘Mr Hussein has decided he does not want to be in court for the rest of the opening.’

When proceedings resumed, Mr Sandhu told the court that Walid Saadaoui was about to receive the firearms and ammunition because he and Hussein were planning to cause ‘mass fatalities’.

‘In particular, they planned to kill as many members of the Jewish community as they could, especially those in North West of England,’ the barrister said.

‘Their plan was to get the weapons and ammunition and identify a mass gathering of Jewish people whom they could attack.’

They had identified areas in Greater Manchester with a large Jewish population to attack and also intended to kill any police officers who got in their way, he said.

Hussein had images showing the outside and inside of the Manchester Jewish Museum on his phone, saved on July 18, 2022, and also had images of firearms.

Both men were Islamic extremists who embraced the views of the so-called Islamic State and were prepared to risk their own lives to become ‘martyrs’, the prosecution said.

‘By May 2024, they had spent months preparing for their acts of terrorism. That included preparing themselves for their own deaths,’ Mr Sandhu said.

The two men face trial alongside Saadaoui’s younger brother, Bilel, 36, from Hindley near Wigan. He has been charged with failure to disclose information about an act of terrorism.

Bilel Saadaoui was said to sympathise with the views of the Islamic State and received a copy of a will prepared by his brother and tens of thousands of pounds in cash to provide for his brother’s family.

Police were able to catch Walid Saadaoui ‘red-handed’ because the two men believed that they were planning their terrorist attacks with a third man called Farouk, who wanted to kill hundreds of innocent people just as they did, Mr Sandhu said.

‘What they did not know, however, was that Farouk was an undercover operative,’ he added.

‘Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein’s plans were laid bare through their communication with Farouk and, as a result, the police were able to stop those plans from becoming a tragic reality.’

Bilel Saadaoui is pictured today outside Preston Crown Court where he is on trial for terrorism offences

Mr Sandhu described how Walid Saadaoui was standing by the open boot of car in a hotel car park in Boltonwhen he was approached by the officers.

In the car were two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.

Saadaoui had arranged and paid for the firearms and ammunition to be smuggled into the country and delivered to him and was waiting for a further two assault rifles, another pistol and more ammunition to be smuggled into the country.

He would have had a total of six firearms and his plan was to have at least 900 rounds of ammunition, the prosecutor said.

‘Those firearms are fierce weapons. The assault rifles are capable of firing several hundred rounds of ammunition per minute.

‘They were the type of firearms used in many terrorist attacks, including attacks in Paris in 2015 when approximately 130 people were killed and hundreds of people were injured.’

In one message, Bilel Saadaoui sent Amar Hussein a link to a report that 25 Jewish people had been killed and 150 others injured when a bridge collapsed during celebrations of Hannukah and Hussein replied: ‘Allah istruly vigilant over them’.

Mr Sandhu said that was ‘not a message sent in sympathy but a message that gloried in the death of Jewish people.’

‘Amar Hussein and Walid Saadaoui planned to kill Jewish people because they held a visceral dislike for them. The response from Amar Hussein we have just read shows how deep-rooted and long-standing that dislike was,’ he added.

The trial continues.