'Committed jihadist': UK-born Pakistani man jailed over military base terror plot

UK-born Pakistani man Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting a mass casualty terrorist attack on a British military base.

Bashir pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism and was ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years and 135 days before parole eligibility.

The Crown Prosecution Service described Bashir as a 'committed jihadist' who conducted reconnaissance of a UK military facility, specifically the UK Defence Academy in Swindon.

The case emerged from an investigation into the October 2025 attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, where attacker Jihad Al Shamie killed two Jewish men.

Bashir was a close associate of Al-Shamie; the pair discussed acquiring weapons, including crossbows, and planned a possible mass casualty attack together.