Algeria says it dismantled MAK cell involving four Moroccans

Algeria's Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that it had dismantled what it described as a «criminal group» made up of six people allegedly affiliated with the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria classifies as a terrorist organization, in the province of Tizi Ouzou. The ministry said the group included «four Moroccan nationals residing illegally in Algeria».

According to the ministry, the group had been operating in the region during the legislative elections «with the aim of disrupting the smooth conduct of the electoral process and preventing citizens from taking part».

The ministry praised «the vigilance of the various security services and their ability to thwart criminal plots», adding that the arrests were part of ongoing efforts to counter what it described as «subversive schemes aimed at undermining the country's security and stability».

This is not the first time Algerian authorities have announced the arrest of Moroccan nationals while accusing them of supporting movements Algeria designates as terrorist organizations, or of involvement in espionage and collusion, since Algiers severed diplomatic ties with Morocco on August 24, 2021.

In recent years, Algerian authorities have stepped up arrests of Moroccan migrants living in the country without legal status, some of whom had traveled there for work, particularly in the construction sector. Those detained have faced a range of charges, from illegal residency to allegations of terrorism-related activities and espionage.