UK-born Pakistani man jailed over military base terror plot

A UK-born Pakistani man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting a mass casualty terrorist attack on a British military base, after investigators found he had prepared for an act of terrorism and shared extremist material with an associate who later carried out a deadly attack on a synagogue. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism. Manchester Crown Court sentenced him to life imprisonment on Thursday, ordering that he serve a minimum of 16 years and 135 days before becoming eligible for parole. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Bashir was a 'committed jihadist' who planned a large-scale attack after carrying out reconnaissance of a UK military facility. "Mohammad Bashir is a determined jihadist and dangerous individual who was planning an attack that could have caused devastation," a CPS spokesperson said. "His actions demonstrate a deliberate and sustained commitment to violent extremism, including conducting reconnaissance, sharing extremist material, and discussing weapons and plans capable of causing significant harm."

The case emerged from a large-scale counterterrorism investigation following the October 2025 attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, in which two Jewish men were killed. The attacker, Jihad Al Shamie, was later shot dead by police. Investigators identified Bashir as a close associate of Al-Shamie and said the two had earlier planned a possible mass casualty attack together, although Al-Shamie later carried out the synagogue attack alone while Bashir was in Pakistan. According to prosecutors, the pair frequently attended the same mosque and were captured on CCTV discussing acquiring weapons, including crossbows, and saying goodbye to loved ones before carrying out an attack. They also made a 10-hour round trip to conduct reconnaissance of the UK Defence Academy in Swindon, where they studied security arrangements.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts of Greater Manchester Police's Counter Terrorism Policing North West said investigators recovered evidence despite the pair attempting to destroy their mobile phones. "He was caught on camera discussing carrying out a terrorist attack with a man who would later go on to conduct an attack himself. Together they made a 10-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at a military base and noted its security arrangements," Potts said. "The pair tried to cover their tracks by disposing of their mobile phones but, thanks to the meticulous work of investigators, evidence of damning internet searches that show research for attack planning were uncovered."

The investigation also found that Bashir and Al-Shamie exchanged voice notes and messages expressing support for "jihad" and a desire to travel to Syria to fight with militants. Prosecutors said Bashir shared more than 100 pieces of extremist material in a WhatsApp group, including content linked to Al Qaeda ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki. The pair also discussed topics such as Sharia law, rejecting democracy and preparing for armed conflict. The CPS argued that their shared extremist ideology led them to plan a mass casualty attack before Al-Shamie changed targets and attacked the synagogue on his own.

During sentencing, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb rejected the defence's claim that Bashir had a "change of heart" after the reconnaissance trip. "I consider you remain dangerous. You have given no grounds that your attitude has really changed at all," the judge said. Bashir was convicted under Section 5 of the UK's Terrorism Act 2006.