Morocco: an Islamic State cell dismantled, 04 suspects arrested

Moroccan special forces carried out a series of coordinated raids that led to the arrest of four individuals linked to the Islamic State terrorist organization. This operation made it possible to neutralize an imminent terrorist threat.

Moroccan security forces have carried out a major coup by neutralizing a terrorist cell affiliated with ISIS. During a series of simultaneous raids in Salé, Tangier and Tetouan, elite units of the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) arrested four individuals aged 21 to 41 years old.

The searches carried out at the suspects' homes led to the seizure of a worrying arsenal: electronic equipment, bladed weapons of various sizes, a flag of the jihadist organization, and writings advocating extremism. Among these documents, a declaration of allegiance to ISIS and detailed instructions for manufacturing explosive devices were discovered.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were deeply indoctrinated by the radical ideology of ISIS. Having taken the oath to the self-proclaimed “emir” of the organization, they had drawn up plans for attacks targeting key infrastructure in Morocco. Equipped with advanced skills in making explosives, they had also established contacts with executives of the terrorist organization internationally to coordinate and claim responsibility for their actions.

Placed in pre-trial detention, the suspects are under the supervision of the investigation carried out by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ). This investigation, led by the public prosecutor specializing in the fight against terrorism and extremism, aims to unravel all of the plots hatched by the suspects and to clarify possible connections with international terrorist networks.