Morocco, Spain dismantle IS-loyal terrorist cell

Morocco and Spain conducted a joint operation dismantling a terrorist cell loyal to IS with operations in the Sahel, Moroccan anti-terrorism agency BCIJ said.

Nine individuals have been arrested in this operation in the Moroccan cities of Tetouan and Fnideq and in Madrid, Ibiza and Ceuta.

BCIJ said the equipment seized during the operation, including bladed weapons and electronic devices, will undergo forensic analyses.

Preliminary investigations showed the suspects, some of whom were previously imprisoned in Spain on terrorism-related charges, were promoting Daesh ideology and holding meetings in Sebta and Tetouan as part of planning and coordinating terrorist activities in the name of Daesh, with the intent to eventually join the organization’s branch in the Sahel region south of the Sahara, BCIJ said.

The statement highlighted that this joint operation falls within the framework of the continuous and exceptional security coordination between Moroccan and Spanish security agencies to counter the terrorist threats facing the two nations.