Two men have been convicted over a chilling terror plot to murder Jewish people in Greater Manchester, a plan police believe could have become the UK’s deadliest attack if it hadn’t been stopped.

Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty at Preston Crown Court of preparing acts of terrorism after plotting what prosecutors described as a marauding attack targeting Jewish communities.

Jurors heard the pair were Islamist extremists who held an intense hatred of Jewish people and had discussed killing “as many Jewish people as they could”. The court was told they actively tried to obtain AK‑47 rifles, believing they were buying them from a criminal supplier — who was in fact an undercover officer.

The plot ran for several months between late 2023 and spring 2024 and focused on carrying out a mass‑casualty attack in Greater Manchester. Detectives said the case underlined the very real threat posed by extremist ideology and praised the investigation for preventing a potential atrocity.

The convictions come amid heightened concern about antisemitism and extremist violence in the UK, with police stressing the importance of intelligence‑led operations to disrupt terror plots before lives are lost.

Sentencing is expected at a later date.