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Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) announced on Monday that it had dismantled a terrorist cell linked to the Sahel branch of the Islamic State (ISIS), arresting 10 suspects in simultaneous operations across several cities.
According to a BCIJ statement, the suspects were arrested in Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, El Hajeb, Tetouan, Fquih Ben Salah and Safi. The group included a former terrorism convict and a minor. Authorities said the cell was in the advanced stages of preparing terrorist attacks targeting public order, people and property, with logistical and operational support from ISIS's Sahel branch.
Searches uncovered bladed weapons, military uniforms, extremist documents detailing how to manufacture explosive devices, digital storage devices and videos containing pledges of allegiance to ISIS and explicit threats to carry out attacks in Morocco. A search of a warehouse in Inzegane also led to the discovery of a modified four-wheel-drive vehicle allegedly intended for use in a suicide bombing or vehicle-ramming attack, along with butane gas cylinders, pressure cookers filled with nails, electrical wiring, welding equipment and chemical substances.
According to the BCIJ, preliminary investigations indicate that members of the cell had pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed ISIS leader and recently received direct instructions from senior figures of the group's Sahel branch to remain in Morocco and carry out attacks. The suspects have been placed in custody, while the minor remains under judicial supervision, as investigations continue under the supervision of the prosecutor's office in charge of terrorism cases.
