In the UK, two men have been sentenced to prison for planning a serious terrorist attack motivated by Islamic State extremism
Their objective was to murder as many Jews as possible in the community of Manchester, in northwest England, in an act that authorities described as potentially one of the deadliest ever recorded on British soil.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, intended to use automatic firearms, such as assault rifles similar to AK-47s, automatic pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition.
They had already acquired two assault rifles, a pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, and planned to acquire more weapons and at least 900 additional rounds of ammunition.
The intention was to import these weapons through the port of Dover and carry out an indiscriminate attack, possibly starting with a march against anti-Semitism in the center of Manchester and continuing into northern neighborhoods with a strong Jewish presence.
Prosecutors highlighted that, if the plan had been executed, the number of victims could have exceeded the massacre that occurred on Bondi Beach in Australia in December 2025, where 15 people died.
The plot was discovered and thwarted in May 2024, thanks to a successful police operation.
The arms supplier contacted by the men was, in fact, an undercover police officer, which allowed the importation to be thwarted and led to the arrest of those involved.
Both swore allegiance to the Islamic State and acted driven by extremist Islamist ideology, with the clear purpose of killing innocent people out of religious hatred.
The trial took place at Preston Crown Court.
In February 2026, Judge Mark Wall delivered the sentences: Walid Saadaoui, considered the main instigator, received a minimum sentence of 37 years in prison, while Amar Hussein was sentenced to at least 26 years.
The judge described Hussein as a coward for planning to attack an unarmed group with heavy weapons, but escaping responsibility by refusing to attend most of the proceedings and the sentencing hearing.
The case reinforces ongoing concern about the resurgence of terrorist threats inspired by the Islamic State, especially against Jewish communities in Europe.
British authorities managed to prevent a potential tragedy through effective surveillance and swift action.
Published in 02/14/2026 17h49
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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