In a chilling revelation that has sent shockwaves across the United Kingdom, two ISIS-devoted terrorists have been convicted of plotting what investigators describe as the "deadliest terror attack in British history." Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty this week at Preston Crown Court for a barbaric plan to bring "slaughter to the innocent." Driven by a visceral hatred for the Jewish community, the duo meticulously planned a marauding gun rampage in Greater Manchester, aiming to turn the city's streets into a bloodbath reminiscent of the 2015 Paris attacks.
The sheer depravity of the plot was laid bare through a series of twisted voice notes and messages sent to an undercover operative they believed was a fellow extremist. In these horrifying recordings, Saadaoui’s voice reportedly seethed with malice as he declared his intent to kill "young, old, women, elderly—the whole lot." He confessed that his "blood was boiling" with a desire for violence, even suggesting that any Christians caught in the crossfire would be considered a "bonus." Most disturbing was his admission that he planned to leave an AK-47 for his own son to "do what I do when he grows up," effectively grooming the next generation for terror.
The scale of the planned carnage was truly unprecedented. The terrorists intended to strike a massive march against antisemitism in Manchester city centre, using military-grade AK-47 rifles to spray the crowd with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Their "Phase Two" involved moving the attack into the Jewish suburbs to target synagogues and schools, hoping to create maximum chaos. Saadaoui, who sold his own home and business to fund the massacre, even planned a "last stand" at a British military base, where he and Hussein intended to engage in a suicidal gunfight with police and soldiers to achieve "martyrdom."
Unbeknownst to the fanatics, their entire world was being watched by a heroic undercover operative known only as "Farouk." For months, the officer played a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse, gaining Saadaoui’s trust by posing as a weapons dealer. The operation culminated in a dramatic sting at a hotel car park in Bolton, where armed police ambushed Saadaoui as he attempted to take delivery of what he thought were functional assault rifles and nearly a thousand rounds of ammunition. Body-cam footage captured the moment the would-be mass murderer was tackled to the ground, effectively ending a plot that was just weeks away from execution.
The conviction of Saadaoui, Hussein, and Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel—who was found guilty of failing to disclose the plot—marks a monumental victory for counter-terrorism forces. Investigators revealed that Walid Saadaoui idolized Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind behind the Bataclan massacre, and sought to replicate that level of horror on British soil. While the Jewish community in Manchester breathes a collective sigh of relief, the case serves as a harrowing reminder of the resurgent threat of global extremism. Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts praised the "bravery and professionalism" of the undercover officer, noting that without this intervention, the UK would have faced an atrocity of unimaginable proportions.