Undercover police officer 'Farouq' infiltrated IS terrorist cell planning Manchester Jewish massacre
Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein sentenced to life imprisonment for terror plot
Saadaoui led double life as restaurateur while secretly pledging allegiance to Islamic State
Bilel Saadaoui jailed for 6 years for failing to disclose information about the plot
📖 Full Retelling
British police successfully thwarted a planned Islamic State massacre against Manchester's Jewish community when undercover officer 'Farouq' infiltrated the terrorist cell, leading to the life imprisonment sentences of Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, who had been secretly planning the attack while living normal lives as a restaurateur and family man. The Guardian's community affairs correspondent Chris Osuh reported on the case, revealing how Saadaoui had once worked as a holiday entertainer in his native Tunisia before moving to the UK, marrying a British woman, and becoming a restaurateur and bird enthusiast, all while hiding his allegiance to Islamic State. The undercover operation, which prevented what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in UK history, was executed with precision as the officer gained the trust of the terrorists who were unaware of his true identity. Saadaoui's younger brother, Bilel Saadaoui, was also sentenced to six years in prison for failing to disclose information about the plot, highlighting the familial connections that sometimes exist in such extremist networks. Osuh, who has been covering the trial extensively, spoke with Helen Pidd about the broader implications of the case for UK security and counter-terrorism efforts, particularly concerning the protection of religious communities and the challenges of detecting homegrown terrorists who successfully integrate into society.
🏷️ Themes
Counter-terrorism, Religious extremism, Undercover operations
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and the Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist militant organisation and a former unrecognised quasi-state. IS occupied significant territory in Iraq and Syria in 201...
Jews (Hebrew: יְהוּדִים, ISO 259-2: Yehudim, Israeli pronunciation: [jehuˈdim]), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte...
Manchester is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of over 589,000 in 2024. It borders the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the city of Salford to the west.
How an undercover cop foiled an IS plot to massacre Britain’s Jews – podcast 00:00:00 00:00:00 The Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh , reports on the plot by two IS terrorists to massacre Jews in Manchester, and how it was thwarted by an undercover sting Walid Saadaoui had once worked as a holiday entertainer, organising dance shows and quizzes at a resort in his native Tunisia . After moving to the UK and marrying a British woman, he became a restaurateur and an avid keeper of birds. All the while, however – as the Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh , explains – he was hiding a secret: he had pledged allegiance to Islamic State . On Friday, Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were sentenced to life imprisonment after attempting to carry out what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in the UK. They had planned a devastating assault on Greater Manchester’s Jewish community. Unbeknown to them, the fellow IS supporter involved in their plot – known by the codename ‘Farouk’ – was in fact an undercover police officer. Saadaoui’s younger brother, Bilel Saadaoui, was jailed for six years for failing to disclose information about the plan. Osuh, who has been covering the trial, speaks to Helen Pidd about how the plot was uncovered and the impact it has had on one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Explore more on these topics Antisemitism Today in Focus UK security and counter-terrorism Manchester Islamic State Greater Manchester Judaism Religion
