Morocco has dismantled a Daesh-related terrorist cell in the Marrakech-Safi region. The organisation was made up of four members aged between 22 and 28. The extremists were based in the rural commune of Sidi Zouine, just seven kilometres from the iconic Jamaa el Fna square.
The terrorists intended to attack the security general headquarters and perpetrate attacks against the authorities. According to the statement issued by the Moroccan news agency, the suspects planned to "attack vital installations and security headquarters, as well as to kill people with knives". In addition, the arrest led to the seizure of "chemical materials suspected of being used in the preparation of explosive devices".
The communiqué goes on to state that the arrested men planned to "join a branch of Daesh in the Sahel region" after having "established relations with a leader in their ranks who is reportedly a foreign national". This leader is said to be in a foreign country and is said to have convinced the leader of the dismantled cell to join 'Daesh combat camps'.
This anti-terrorist operation is part of Moroccan security operations aimed at combating terrorist threats by eradicating their plans. According to the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), "technical monitoring and field investigation operations made it possible to gather precise information on the terrorist project of the head of this cell". According to the BCIJ, the terrorists were already prepared to carry out the execution of their plans after having set a number of fixed targets to attack. Similarly, the terrorists had already carried out tests on explosive devices as part of their preparations for the attack.
In addition to this, investigations reveal that the terrorists have maintained links with minors in order to recruit them into the ranks of Daesh through jihadist propaganda. The aim was to indoctrinate them to become part of the 'Lion cubs of the Khalifa method' network, the Daesh network that aims to use children as a means of committing attacks.
Along these lines, the Moroccan police say that bladed weapons of different sizes, computer equipment, suspicious chemicals and welding tools were found in the house. Among the chemicals found were 50 kilograms of nitrate of harmonium, 3 kilograms of potassium sulphate, 4 boxes of toxic substances and 3 bags containing 800 grams of chemical powders allegedly to be used in the preparation of explosive devices.
Those arrested have been placed under judicial custody and will be supervised by the competent Public Prosecutor's Office in order to investigate and get to the root of the terrorist group, as well as to identify "the regional and international ramifications of the members and all the terrorist projects they planned". The BCIJ concluded in a statement that this operation "confirms the increase in terrorist threats that threaten the security of the Kingdom and the safety of its citizens, as well as the stubbornness of individuals imbued with extremist ideology to carry out terrorist projects under the banner of the Daesh terrorist organisation".
The BCIJ is a high-level security service founded in 2015 to combat terrorist threats, kidnappings, drug trafficking and organised crime. Since its foundation, the agency has arrested thousands of people linked to terrorist networks and extremist movements.
In this regard, Morocco is engaged in an important fight against the eradication of terrorism. In this vein, in 2020, the US Department of State praised the Kingdom's counterterrorism strategy and described it as an "important non-NATO ally and an active member of the Partnership to Combat Terrorism".
In order to strengthen the fight against terrorism in the region, Morocco has established relations with the United States, which is already considered a "strategic ally". Since 2016, Morocco has been a member of the multilateral Africom force, the US Department's African combatant command, which is responsible for military operations on the continent. Morocco has also secured its co-chairmanship of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) for two more terms.
