As part of the proactive security operations aimed at neutralizing the risks of terrorist threats and thwarting destructive plots aiming at endangering the security and stability of Morocco,and disrupt public order,the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ),affiliated with the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance,succeeded in the early hours of this Wednesday to dismantle a terrorist cell loyal to the so-called Islamic State organization (ISIS).
The cell was made up of four extremists active between the Northern cities of Tetouan and Chefchaouen,and are aged between 20 and 27.
BCIJ said in a statement that searches carried out at the suspects’ residences led to the seizure of a document containing the text of the “pledge of allegiance” (bay’ah) declared by the members of the cell to the alleged leader of the terrorist ISIS group. A video recording documenting this pledge,a flag symbolizing the organization,and a black outfit consisting of pants and a vest bearing extremist slogans were also seized. Additionally,models of weapons were found,including a rifle and two pistols,along with a number of electronic devices that will undergo digital forensic analysis.
The statement added that field investigations and tracking operations revealed the seriousness of the terrorist plans the cell members were preparing,which align with ISIS’s agenda to destabilize the Kingdom. The suspects had already begun physical preparations for their terrorist project by conducting field tests in a mountainous area near Tetouan,with the aim of manufacturing explosive devices.
The investigations further showed that the suspects documented their pledge of allegiance to the current alleged ISIS leader through a written manuscript and a video,in order to obtain the organization’s endorsement for their terrorist plans.
The four arrested individuals have been placed in custody for further investigation under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office specializing in terrorism cases,in order to uncover all related terrorist plans,connections,and potential links of this cell.
This Wednesday’s arrests come just days after BCIJ foiled another alleged ISIS-linked plot. Last Friday,a 21-year-old woman was arrested in Rabat for allegedly planning a terrorist attack targeting a religious site in the capital. The suspect,a student at a technical institute,had reportedly begun acquiring materials to manufacture explosives and toxins,according to the BCIJ.
Her arrest was the result of joint intelligence operations between the DGST and France’s domestic security services. A search of her residence uncovered incendiary materials,handwritten notes inciting violence,and books promoting extremist ideology.
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