Two men on trial in UK over alleged plot against Jewish community

LONDON (Reuters) -Two men plotted an Islamic State-inspired attack on the Jewish community in northwest England with the aim of "killing hundreds of innocent people", British prosecutors said on Wednesday at the start of their trial.

Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, are charged with preparing terrorist acts, while Walid Saadaoui's brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, is charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.

All three have pleaded not guilty and are on trial at Preston Crown Court. Judge Mark Wall told jurors that the case had nothing to do with last week's deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester and the timing of the trial was coincidental.

Prosecutors say Walid Saadaoui and Hussein had "embraced the views of the so-called Islamic State ... (and) were prepared to risk their own lives" in order to become martyrs.

DEFENDANTS PLANNING 'UNTOLD HARM' SAYS PROSECUTOR

Walid Saadaoui had arranged for two assault rifles, an automatic pistol and ammunition to be smuggled into Britain, with a further three weapons and more ammunition to be delivered, when he was arrested in May 2024, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu said.

Sandhu said the assault rifles were similar to those used in a 2015 attack in Paris which killed 130 people, and were "capable of causing untold harm".

"Untold harm was precisely what Walid Saadaoui had planned to cause, together with the defendant Amar Hussein," Sandhu said, before he was interrupted by Hussein shouting from the dock: "How many babies?"

Sandhu said that Walid Saadaoui and Hussein's plan was to "identify a mass gathering of Jewish people whom they could attack", with a third man they thought was called "Farouk".

"In addition, they intended to kill any law enforcement or police officers who got in their way," Sandhu said.

He told the jury that Walid Saadaoui and Hussein were arrested because "Farouk", who they thought "wanted to kill hundreds of innocent people just as they did", was in fact an undercover operative.

Sandhu said Bilel Saadaoui was not planning to take part in an attack, but "sympathised with the views of the Islamic State" and had been given access to money by his brother Walid to look after his family after his death.

The trial is due to take up to 12 weeks.

(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Ros Russell)