Two illegal boat migrants from Iran have been charged in Britain with allegedly plotting a terror attack on Jewish targets in Manchester last month.
Iranian nationals Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, were charged on Friday with preparing to commit an act of terrorism over alleged plans to bomb Manchester’s Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue with “homemade” explosives, Westminster magistrates’ court heard.
The Crown Prosecution Service claimed that the pair had used encrypted messaging services to discuss the acquisition of materials to produce homemade bombs, had obtained a how to guide for making a “powder chlorine and car brake oil/fluid bomb”, and had a video instructional video detailing how to assembly an improvised explosive device, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Additionally, they also allegedly plotted elements of the planned attack, including by collecting images and maps of targets, as well as staking out possible bombing targets.
The pair were initially arrested on September 20, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and were charged on the anniversary of the Manchester Heaton Park Synagogue attack, which saw two killed and three injured.
According to the Daily Mail, the Salehi and Ahmadyan were said to be in contact with a an overseas third party, possibly in Iran, over the alleged plot.
Both alleged terrorists are said to have arrived in the country illegally on small boats across the English Channel, with Ahmadyan arriving in 2020 and Rahman Salehi arriving in 2023. The Home Office admitted that one of the suspects had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, while the other had an open claim.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Terry Woods, said: “We know how concerning this news will be to Jewish communities in Greater Manchester, and beyond. We know this is particularly acute on the calendar anniversary of last year’s terrorist atrocity at the Heaton Park synagogue, and during the Jewish High Holy Days.
“We continue to work hand in glove locally with community leaders, the Community Security Trust, and our local policing teams, and nationally with Counter Terrorism Police London which have been leading this investigation.
“Our ongoing and robust policing plans within the Jewish communities will endure, and the public can expect to see continued visibility with officers providing engagement and security.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, added: “The charging of two men following the Counter Terror investigation into an alleged plot to target our Jewish community will cause shock, alarm and concern within the community and across Greater Manchester. This is another chilling reminder of the real and sustained threats facing our Jewish communities.
“I thank Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and their Merseyside counterparts, Counter Terrorism Policing and the security services for their actions. I remain in close contact with GMP and officers will continue to work closely with community leaders and the Community Security Trust. Visible GMP patrols will provide security and reassurance to help keep our Jewish communities safe.”