One-year-long investigations, monitoring led to latest dismantling of terrorist cell – BCIJ

The investigations and monitoring of the activities of the recently dismantled terrorist cell, named by its members “The Lions of the Caliphate in Maghreb Al Aqsa”, spanned over nearly a year, said the Director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), Cherkaoui Habboub, on Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing organized at the BCIJ headquarters in Salé, Habboub declared that these operations led to the arrest of 12 members in the cities of Laayoune, Casablanca, Fes, Taounate, Tangier, Azemmour, Guercif, Oulad Teima, and Tamesna (a suburb of Rabat), who had recently conducted reconnaissance to identify potential targets in several Moroccan cities.

On the basis of accurate intelligence provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the BCIJ successfully thwarted a highly dangerous terrorist plot targeting Morocco, instigated directly by senior Daesh leader Abderrahmane Assahraoui, a Libyan national operating in the Sahel region, the BCIJ chief said.

The terrorist cell recently dismantled was a strategic project of the “Daesh wilaya in the Sahel” to set up its branch in Morocco.

He explaining in this connection that “the danger of this cell is not only reflected in the number of arrested individuals, but also in the fact that it is a project by the +wilaya of Daesh in the Sahel+ to set up a branch in the Kingdom”.

Searches and raids carried out as part of this operation initially led to the seizure of a large number of devices and materials intended for the preparation of an imminent and large-scale terrorist plan. These included explosive devices ready to be detonated, suspicious substances used in the manufacturing of explosives, as well as bladed weapons, he said.

Preliminary technical investigations revealed that certain members of this cell, responsible for coordination, possessed GPS coordinates and specific addresses linked to an arms and ammunition cache intended for the group’s members to execute their sinister plans, Habboub emphasized.

This cache, he stated, is located in the province of Errachidia, precisely on the eastern bank of “Oued Guir” at “Tel Mzil,” in the commune and district of “Oued N’aam,” in the “Boudnib” region, along the border area in the Eastern region.

Habboub noted that cartographic reconnaissance and search operations revealed that this cache was located at the base of a rugged rocky formation, making access difficult. This required the deployment of appropriate logistical resources, the activation of security and safety protocols applicable to terrorist threats, and the mobilization of specialized canine units trained in explosive detection, metal and hazardous substance detection robots, and an X-ray scanning system.

The search and combing operations, which lasted approximately three hours, led to the discovery of a stockpile of weapons and ammunition buried in a secluded location at the base of the rocky formation, he continued.

The weapons seized during this operation, according to the BCIJ Director, include two Kalashnikov assault rifles with two magazines, two hunting rifles, ten handguns of various calibers, and a significant quantity of cartridges and ammunition of different calibers. These were wrapped in plastic bags and newspapers printed in Mali, among which were weeklies dated January 15 and 27, 2025.

Ballistic analysis conducted by experts from the National Security’s Forensic Science Institute determined that these weapons were in good working condition and that their serial numbers had been deliberately erased to conceal their origin. Additionally, the barrels of some weapons had been shortened to facilitate concealment and transport.

Investigations show that seized arms and equipment were provided and shipped by a senior Daesh leader in the Sahel, “Abderrahmane Assahraoui the Libyan”, who had been in communication with smuggling networks and had facilitated the delivery of this arsenal to the terrorist cell members, Habboub stressed.

Due to the vigilance of security services, these weapons were seized, thereby preventing a potential catastrophe had the cell members succeeded in laying hands on this arsenal, he said.