A projectile strike on a civilian area near a prison in the Moroccan Sahara town of Smara has renewed concerns over the increasing reliance on terrorist tactics by the Algeria-protected Polisario separatists.
Two explosions were reported late Tuesday near the local penitentiary, according to local sources and witnesses.
One projectile landed at the prison’s entrance, while another detonated a few meters behind the facility.
A woman was injured in the attack, suffering injuries in the leg and shoulders, according to local media.
Security forces and civil protection units quickly sealed off the area as investigators began analyzing fragments and attempting to determine the trajectory and origin of the projectiles, local media showed.
The attack on civilians is inherent to Polisario tactics, as the projectile strike mirrors previous incidents in the area.
Similar projectile strikes were reported in 2024, with rounds landing near civilian zones in Smara, raising alarms over a pattern of attacks that risk harming non-combatants.
Officials in Rabat have repeatedly accused the Polisario of employing tactics that blur the line between military targeting and indiscriminate attacks, particularly through the use of projectiles near populated areas.
Algeria has offered a rear-base as well as fuel and logistical support to enable Polisario’s terrorist attack on civilian targets.
The incident comes against the backdrop of growing warnings from Moroccan diplomacy about the convergence between separatist movements and terrorist networks in the region.
Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has repeatedly cautioned that such links risk destabilizing North Africa and the Sahel, particularly if armed groups continue to operate with impunity.
The Smara strike also coincides with mounting political pressure in Washington to formally designate the Polisario as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Legislative efforts are gaining ground in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, where lawmakers highlight the Polisario’s terrorist tactics and links to Iran.
Senator Ted Cruz has been among the most vocal advocates, calling for a tougher U.S. stance and warning that failure to act could embolden armed groups operating in fragile regions.
For Morocco, the latest attack reinforces its narrative of facing asymmetric threats in the territory through sporadic projectile strikes emanating by separatist militias departing from Algeria and protected and armed by Algiers.
