ChaoticMusings

Grabbed by the back of his T-shirt as he desperately tries to flee across a field, this is the moment an Islamic State-supporting fanatic plotting Britain's worst terrorist outrage was caught.

Walid Saadaoui, who ran an Italian restaurant in Great Yarmouth before dedicating his life to jihad, had just taken delivery of a cache of assault rifles, handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The 38-year-old and fellow Islamist Amar Hussein were today convicted of preparing acts of terror after plotting to massacre British Jews in revenge for Israel's military response to the October 7 Hamas atrocity.

But it was foiled by an 'exceptionally brave' undercover operative (UCO) sent to infiltrate the terror cell.

'Farouk' was in contact with the jihadists for over six months – and duped them into believing the cache of weapons was being transported to the UK via a cross-Channel ferry.

When Saadaoui went to collect some of the firearms, which had been deactivated, he was unaware of the more than 200 officers - some armed - ready to pounce on him at a moment's notice. 

The officers were lying in wait in unmarked vehicles as Walid Saadaoui arrived to take delivery in the car park of a Lancashire spa hotel.

Following the verdicts, Jewish community leaders said the plot was a stark reminder of the lethal consequences of rising anti-Israeli rhetoric – and chilling proof that a Bondi-style attack could happen here.

Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Robert Potts said: 'What Walid Saadaoui was trying to achieve was a terrorist attack on the Jewish community that given the weaponry and ammunition involved could potentially have been the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history.'

Britain's worst terrorist atrocities were the July 7 2005 Tube and bus bombings in London, in which 52 people were killed in four explosions, and the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, in which 22 people were murdered by a lone suicide bomber.

But just a single attacker with a semi-automatic rifle killed 38 people including 30 Britons, on a beach in Sousse, Tunisia, in 2015.

Saadaoui said he wanted to kill as many Jews 'as possible' in the attack, planned for the summer of 2024 – with the deaths of any Christians 'a bonus'.

In one chilling conversation with 'Farouk', he said he wanted to 'kill as many as possible', saying he had an 'overwhelming urge'.

He was also recorded saying that if Muslims 'all over the world' attacked 'the Jewish people, honestly they wouldn't do what they do in Gaza now'.

After an 11-week trial, jurors at Preston Crown Court took just one day to convict Hussein, 52, and Saadaoui of preparation of terrorist acts.

Saadaoui's brother Bilel, 35 - who knew about the plot but failed to alert authorities - was found guilty of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.

Hussein was given leave to remain in 2015, setting up an electrical appliance business in Bolton.

After working briefly at a discount store called Bonkers Prices, Saadaoui gave up work and claimed Universal Credit.

He came under suspicion in the wake of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 due to his hate-filled social media posts.

He operated at least 10 Facebook profiles which detectives said were 'the most pro-Islamic State' they had come across.

Among the areas where he and Hussein carried out 'hostile reconnaissance' was around Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.

He used one of his Facebook accounts to join a Jewish community page in order to stalk his targets online and work out when they might be holding gatherings.

Chillingly he bragged: 'We start with the Jews and if there any Christians caught in the act, that is a bonus but we start with the Jews.'