Terrorism: Moroccan-Spanish Cooperation Leads To Arrest of 175 Jihadists

The sound cooperation between Moroccan and Spanish security services in the fight against terrorism has led to the arrest of 175 jihadists, said interior minister Juan Ignacio Zoido.
In a interview published lately by La Razon, the Spanish official described neighboring Morocco as “a friend, a partner and an ally” of Spain in the war against terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
He also stressed the importance and efficiency of cooperation set between Madrid and Rabat in this field, commending the latest joint anti-terror operations carried out by the two countries security services, leading to the capture of several ISIS operatives.
According to Mr. Zoido, terrorism “has many facets and is constantly evolving”, making it crucial to pool effort to foil this global threat. “It is only through unity and international cooperation that we can defeat terrorism which is seeking to destroy our way of life,” added the minister, sounding the alarm bell against the rapid expansion of radicalization worldwide.
Moroccan intelligence helped to avert several terror attacks in Europe with the information it collects and shares with its regional and international partners
The counterterrorism services of the North African Kingdom helped France, Belgium and Spain thwart a number of terror attacks. It was Moroccan intelligence that helped locate Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind of the November 2015 deadly attacks in Paris.
September 2016, Morocco’s intelligence service informed German authorities that Anas Amiri was about to perpetrate a terrorist attack on German soil three months before he did.
The Moroccan government’s counterterrorism efforts have effectively mitigated the risk of terrorism. According to some experts, one of the main factors helping to keep Morocco’s jihadists in check is the competence of its security forces.
The country’s powerful intelligence agency, national police force, paramilitary police and Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (Morocco’s version of the FBI) work closely with their American and European counterparts, receive extensive training and are highly skilled and professional.