Two men ‘planned ISIS-inspired machine gun attack on British Jews’

TWO men were preparing to carry out an IS-inspired machine gun attack on Jews, a court has heard.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, allegedly agreed to pay for four of these weapons, a handgun and 1,200 cartridges.

He would have set up a safe place to store them.

In March, he and Amar Hussein, 50, reportedly traveled to Dover, where the weapons were to be imported, to assess the security of the port.

He was arrested on May 8 while on his way to a meeting to collect the weapons. Hussein was arrested separately, justices of the peace were told.

Rebecca Waller, prosecuting, said they believed they were in a position to launch an ISIS-inspired attack to cause multiple deaths with automatic weapons.

She added: “The main targets were the Jewish community in the North West of England and members of law enforcement and the army.

She added that Saadaoui had said he was in communication with IS and was a member.

Both men are accused of preparing terrorist acts.

Saadaoui’s brother Bilel – both Tunisians authorized to stay in the UK – was arrested the same day.

The father-of-two, 35, is accused of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism, after allegedly receiving his brother’s will and the key to a safe containing £75,000.

The trio, from Gtr Manchester, were remanded in custody by Westminster magistrates to appear at the Old Bailey on May 24.