July 07, (THEWILL) — Morocco’s security authorities have foiled what officials described as a major terrorist plot targeting sensitive installations and public security, arresting 10 suspected extremists linked to the Sahel branch of the Daesh terrorist group in coordinated operations across seven cities.
THEWILL reports that the suspects were apprehended during simultaneous security raids carried out on Monday in Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, Hajjeb, Tetouan, Fqih Ben Salah, and Safi by Morocco’s counterterrorism agency, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ).
According to a statement issued by the BCIJ, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had pledged allegiance to Daesh and were acting under direct operational instructions from the terrorist group’s affiliate operating in the Sahel region.
Authorities said the cell was planning coordinated attacks on strategic facilities and locations aimed at undermining national security and causing mass casualties.
Security operatives recovered a cache of materials believed to have been prepared for the planned attacks. Items seized during searches included bladed weapons, military-style clothing, documents detailing the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, digital storage materials, and various chemical substances.
Investigators also uncovered a modified vehicle suspected to have been prepared for use in either a suicide bombing or a vehicle-ramming attack.
At a warehouse allegedly used by the group, security forces recovered butane gas cylinders and pressure cookers, some packed with nails and others connected to electrical wiring, suggesting preparations for improvised explosive devices.
The BCIJ said investigations are continuing to identify additional collaborators, establish the full extent of the network’s operations, and determine whether the suspects maintained links with other terrorist cells operating across the region.
The operation highlights the growing security concerns posed by extremist organisations operating in Africa’s Sahel, where Daesh and Al-Qaeda affiliates have significantly expanded their influence in recent years, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The deteriorating security situation in the region has raised fears of cross-border terrorist activities affecting neighbouring North African countries.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has welcomed the successful operation. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the terrorist plots and expressed the Kingdom’s full solidarity with Morocco and its security agencies for preventing the planned attacks.
Moroccan authorities have continued to intensify counterterrorism operations amid persistent threats from extremist groups. Official BCIJ figures indicate that Daesh affiliates in Africa have recruited more than 130 Moroccan fighters in recent years.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations has dismantled dozens of terrorist cells and arrested more than 1,000 suspected militants as part of Morocco’s broader strategy to combat violent extremism.
The country’s last deadly terrorist incident occurred in 2023 when three individuals affiliated with Daesh killed a Moroccan police officer in Casablanca, prompting renewed efforts by security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and disrupt extremist networks before they can launch attacks.
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