Associate of Manchester synagogue attacker jailed over terror reconnaissance

ByMATHILDA HELLERJULY 26, 2026 20:37The man who conducted hostile reconnaissance at a military base alongside the Manchester synagogue attacker has been jailed.Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and 135 days on Thursday. Bashir will also be subject to mandatory terrorism notification requirements for the rest of his life.Following the terrorist attack that took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur, October 2025, Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) launched a large-scale investigation to establish the full circumstances behind the attack.Phones belonging to the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, were reviewed by CTPNW and identified Bashir as a close associate who also held extremist views.During WhatsApp conversations between the pair, they discussed preparing for “war” and frequently made antisemitic remarks.A demonstrator holds a placard as people gather outside Downing Street to demand stronger government action against antisemitism, one week after the deadly Manchester synagogue attack, in London, Britain, October 9, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE)Bashir expressed support for jihadist violence in SyriaIn December 2024, al-Shamie had expressed his envy of the mujahideen in Syria and Bashir responded that he had done research about a Salafi-jihadist group operating in Syria called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and expressed a hope that HTS would be able to establish Sharia in Syria.Bashir also told al-Shamie that he had rejoiced watching videos of Syrian soldiers being beheaded.Al-Shamie and Bashir had been part of a WhatsApp group called “Aspiring to the Ranks of the Elite” along with 10 others. Bashir sent over 2,000 messages to the chat group in six months. Sentenced judge Justice Cheema-Grubb said many messages were about physical violence in the cause of jihad, including calls for persecution and murder.“You exalted martyrdom,” she addressed Bashir during the sentencing. “You praised Palestinian fighters, and you posted messages about restoring glory to Muslim lands by exterminating Jewish men and taking Jewish women as concubines. In three posts you sent to the group, you distributed material originating from the well-known American Yemeni cleric who endorsed violence as a religious duty, Anwar al-Awlaki.”Pair conducted hostile reconnaissance at UK Defense AcademyAside from the extremist content of the messages, the courts established that both men had made a 10-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance of the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham on August 14, 2025. The motive for the proposed attack was that “IDF soldiers had been training there,” the judge said.Bashir acted as driver for most of the journey, and al-Shamie made notes regarding the security arrangements for the base on his phone, titled “espionage.”The phone data, alongside CCTV footage and audio showing them discussing plans for an attack, provided the evidence against Bashir.During sentencing, he was described by the prosecution as a “long-standing, committed jihadist.”Judge Cheema-Grubb delivered a powerful sentencing with reference to Jewish biblical text.“Your example must stand as a warning to men who are attracted by this form of militant, violent, and destructive Islam for religious or political reasons,” she said. “In the Jewish book of Proverbs 13:20 this is expressed bluntly, ‘He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.’ The values and behavior of the people you revere will directly influence your own life and choices.”Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for CTPNW, said: “Mohammed Bashir is a dangerous individual with extremist views who held conversations about preparing for ‘war.’“Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions, and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity.”Follow us on Google