Morocco arrests 4 suspected terrorists linked to Daesh
The Moroccan authorities have arrested 4 suspected terrorists loyal to the Daesh jihadist group in the cities of Tangier and Tetouan, in the north of the country, and in the town of Salé, in the centre.
The individuals, aged between 21 and 41, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the preparation of ‘extremely dangerous’ terrorist plots in the country, according to the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), part of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
The 4 persons were arrested by the special forces of the DGST in separate and simultaneous operations in which they also seized electronic equipment and bladed weapons of different sizes as well as a Daesh flag, a set of extremist manuscripts that would prove the detainees' allegiance to the terrorist group and publications on the legitimacy of “martyrdom operations” and the method of manufacturing and assembling explosive devices.
According to preliminary investigation data collected by Moroccan media, the suspects declared their allegiance to the so-called ‘emir’ of this organisation, were planning attacks targeting vital and sensitive installations in the Kingdom. According to the BCIJ communiqué, those involved effectively joined in the elaboration of these plans by observing and identifying the targets.
Likewise, the investigation has shown that the detainees, who had acquired expertise in the field of manufacturing explosive devices, had established links with Daesh leaders operating abroad in order to be able to support and claim their subversive projects immediately after their perpetration in the Kingdom.
The 4 individuals have been taken into police custody for the purposes of the investigation conducted by the BCIJ under the supervision of the prosecutor's office in charge of terrorism and extremism cases in order to identify all their terrorist plans and projects and to discover possible ramifications with terrorist organisations abroad.
