How a shadowy undercover agent and painstaking police investigation helped nail IS terrorists and prevent a bloodbath

An undercover agent, whose identity is kept secret for safety reasons, disrupted a potential terror attack in Manchester in 2024 by posing as a Jihadi. He initiated contact with a Facebook user named Liya Ernia, who turned out to be Walid Saadaoui—a former restaurateur and father with extremist beliefs. Over five months, the agent collected evidence of Saadaoui’s plans to carry out attacks against the Jewish community in Manchester, including sourcing weapons and conducting reconnaissance on potential targets.

Saadaoui expressed a desire to kill multiple people and even planned to attack a pro-Israel march. The police ran a large-scale operation, using the agent, known as Farouk, to gather critical evidence against Saadaoui and his accomplice Amar Hussein. Eventually, Saadaoui was arrested while attempting to acquire weapons. The undercover work significantly thwarted what could have been one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the UK. Authorities emphasised the bravery of the operative and reinforced their commitment to protecting communities from such threats.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News