Desmantelada una célula terrorista en la ciudad marroquí de Oujda
The Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) carried out an operation together with the CIA to arrest four extremists in Oujda, northwest Morocco. Four people aged between 24 and 28 were arrested in different neighbourhoods of the city. "This security operation is part of the ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremist organizations that seek to undermine the security and the stability of the Kingdom," the Central Office said in a press release.
Security forces used sound bombs to neutralise the main suspect, while another of the detainees tried to escape through the roof and was arrested on the roof of nearby houses. The authorities confiscated sums of money in European currencies, passports, weapons and a computer. According to investigations, the detainees had declared their 'allegiance' to Daesh and planned to join the terrorist group in the Sahel region. There they would be trained in camps to carry out terrorist attacks. The prosecutor's office has ordered further investigations to uncover more extremists with the same plans, as this is the first time a terrorist cell has been found in the city.
The presence of terrorist groups is increasing and gaining strength in the Sahel area. Countries such as Mali and Niger have been hit hard by jihadist attacks in which hundreds of people have been killed. If extremists used to join Daesh in the Middle East region, they are now moving to the Sahel. According to Cherkaoui Habboub, director of the BCIJ, 1,654 Moroccans joined Daesh since 2014. "Of these 1,654, 270 have returned to Morocco and have war experience".
The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, which is part of the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance, has stressed the importance of collaboration between countries in the fight against terrorism. "This confirms once again the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorist threats, and demonstrates the effectiveness of partnerships that play a key role in the success of operations to combat terrorism and violent extremism," it said in a press release. Morocco and the United States have worked together in the fight against terrorism. Since 2016, the Alawi kingdom has been a member of the US-developed Africom force. In 2020 Rabat and Washington signed a military agreement that will last until 2030 to strengthen cooperation against threats such as terrorism. During the meeting to establish the agreement, Moroccan Defence Minister Abdellatif Loudiyi stressed his country's commitment to 'fighting terrorism and adopting humanitarian measures to resolve the migration crisis, as well as cooperating to achieve regional stability in the Sahel'. Since 2002, Morocco has dismantled nearly 2,000 terrorist cells. In addition to US collaboration, Rabat has worked with Spain to fight this scourge. In 2019, an agreement was signed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. The treaty also provides for training, exchange of information and working meetings.