Manchester synagogue killer planned attack on Israeli soldiers at UK base saying he was 'war-ready', court hears

By DUNCAN GARDHAM and JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT Published: 16:38, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 16:57, 22 July 2026 The Manchester synagogue killer previously planned an attack on Israeli soldiers at a UK base aimed at causing 'multiple fatalities', a court heard today. Jihad al-Shamie, 35, was captured on mosque CCTV discussing the plot with 'committed jihadist' Mohammad Bashir, 31, a delivery driver. The pair discussed getting 'war ready' and how Al-Shamie had 'had enough of this world' in messages sourced from phones seized by police but only examined after the synagogue attack. Bashir is now facing jail for driving Al-Shamie on a reconnaissance mission to the UK Defence Academy in Oxfordshire base two months before he launched the vehicle and knife attack at Heaton Park Synagogue. Al-Shamie, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, drove his black Kia Picanto into a security guard outside the synagogue on October 2, 2025 before stabbing to death Melvin Cravitz, 66. He was wearing a fake suicide vest and was shot dead by armed police as worshippers barricaded themselves inside the synagogue. Tragically a stray bullet killed Adrian Daulby, 53, who was among those preventing the attacker from getting inside. Al-Shamie and Bashir previously plotted to attack the UK Defence Academy in order to target soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) who they believed were being trained there, Manchester Crown Court heard today. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, a delivery driver from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, admits preparing a terrorist attack by driving Heaton Park Synagogue attacker Jihad al-Shamie to carry out hostile reconnaissance on another potential target two months earlier Bashir drove Al-Shamie's car on a ten–hour round trip from Manchester on August 14, 2025, despite being uninsured, and the pair spent 13 minutes in the area of the UK Defence Academy in Oxfordshire (pictured) before returning Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC said that as with the synagogue attack, the plan involved 'weapons that would cause multiple fatalities and have national and international impact.' The academy provides defence and security education to the British Armed Forces, UK government, industry and overseas personnel and routinely has up to 4,000 staff, contractors, students and visitors on site at any given time, the court was told.   Bashir drove Shamie's car on a ten-hour round trip from Manchester on August 14, 2025 despite being uninsured. The pair spent 13 minutes in the area of the Defence Academy in Shrivenham before returning. At around that time Al-Shamie made an entry in his iPhone notes entitled 'Espionage' which the court heard was 'plainly' a description of the reception area of the base. Both Bashir and Al-Shamie deliberately disposed of their mobile phones after carrying out the hostile reconnaissance, Mr Polnay told the court. Al-Shamie had been arrested on February 13 on an allegation of breaching a non-molestation order. He was arrested again on September 21 on an allegation of rape, and on both occasions police seized his mobile phones. They were examined by counter-terrorism police after the synagogue attack, with a warrant obtained for his online iCloud storage. Synagogue attacker Jihad Al–Shamie (pictured) died in the attack in Heaton Park on October 2, 2025 This uncovered WhatsApp and voice note exchanges between Bashir and Al-Shamie, including a chat group called 'Aspiring to the Ranks of the Elite' of which they were both members. Bashir sent over 2,000 messages to the group and Mr Polnay said he was a 'long-standing, committed jihadist'. His messages with Al-Shamie 'demonstrated they were both close associates and both shared in an extremist worldview,' he added. In one exchange, on November 18 2024, Al-Shamie told Bashir how he had been working out at home and invited him to play football with him, adding: 'May Allah grant you strength and make u even more war ready.' Bashir told him: 'Inshallah akhi [god willing brother], I'm gonna get on it. Then I'm gonna call out the biggest Jews to scrap.' On December 2, Al-Shamie sent a voicemail to Bashir saying he wanted to go and fight in Syria, where he was born. 'I've had enough of this world,' he added.  'I've had enough of this life. I've had enough of all of it akhi [brother].  Court artist sketch of Mohammad Bashir appearing at the Old Bailey in London earlier this year 'I don't want to live in this miserable city, in this dunya [worldly life], for much longer uksumbillah [I swear by Allah].' CCTV footage from the Al-Sunnah Mosque in Manchester - combined with data from Al-Shamie's handset - demonstrated that both men were planning a terrorist attack on the Defence Academy, Mr Polnay said. On the afternoon of August 9, 2025, both men arrived at the mosque in Al-Shamie's Kia. They sat in the car for 40 minutes while Al-Shamie carried out an internet search for 'IDF soldiers UK'. It led them to an article about Israeli army officers studying at the Royal College of Defence Studies in central London. The pair re-entered the mosque at 7.10pm and sat down at the back - believing 'erroneously' that they wouldn't be on camera, Mr Polnay said. Instead, CCTV played to the court showed them reading the article at the back of a deserted prayer hall, checking no one else was around. Al-Shamie then said: 'Allahuakhbar, allahuakbar' [god is great] and added: 'There is no doubt that there will be Israeli IDF guys there.' Bashir added: 'You got to look into it bro, look into it, this is the place, this is the place.' Al-Shamie said they could 'just storm the place' and told Bashir: 'You're a better driver than me, sometimes, I can't view a map, I get stressed, I miss the exit.' Bashir said there was 'no doubt, no grey area' and Al-Shamie added: 'I wish we had a weapon. We need to get one, crossbow.' He added: 'Anyone working there, gone. Women and men.'  Bashir meanwhile stood up and gestured as though he was holding an assault rifle, saying he was 'really excited'. Al-Shamie told him that before they went on the 'mission' they would need to 'say bye to loved ones' and pay off any debts. As they exit the mosque, Al-Shamie says: 'It’s exciting.' Bashir replies: 'This is like, this time next year, we will be in green birds.' Mr Polnay said a terrorism expert had noted that in Islamic literature, the 'green birds of paradise are intimately linked to notions of martyrdom'. Ultimately no attack on the Defence Academy or other military establishment took place. The Crown said there was no evidence to suggest Bashir was involved in the planning of the attack at Heaton Park.  Bashir, a dual British and Pakistan citizen, left the country to travel to Pakistan with his family two days after the synagogue attack. When he returned on November 27 he was arrested at Manchester Airport. Bashir, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, pleaded guilty in June to preparing a terrorist attack and disseminating terrorist material encouraging martyrdom over WhatsApp. The sentencing hearing continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.