Terror plotter jailed for life after planning attack on UK military site

A man has been jailed for life after plotting a terrorist attack on a UK military facility alongside an associate who later carried out the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue.

Mohammad Bashir, 31, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court after admitting preparing acts of terrorism. The court heard he planned an attack on the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham following hostile reconnaissance with Jihad Al-Shamie, who later carried out the fatal synagogue attack in Manchester in October 2025.

Investigators revealed the pair travelled to the military site in August 2025 to assess potential targets and discussed carrying out an attack using bladed weapons and a fake suicide vest. Bashir later fled the UK after the synagogue attack but was arrested when he returned from Pakistan in November 2025.

The court heard Bashir was a "committed jihadist" who actively supported extremist ideology and shared terrorist material with Al-Shamie. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole.

Following the sentencing, Greater Manchester Police apologised for failing to examine mobile phone evidence seized from Al-Shamie before the synagogue attack. The force described it as a "missed opportunity" that may have uncovered his extremist intentions earlier, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is continuing to investigate the handling of the case.

Authorities said the case highlights the continuing threat posed by violent extremism and the importance of early intervention to prevent planned terrorist attacks.