Counterterrorism: Morocco Busts another ISIS Terror Cell

Moroccan security services announced on Thursday the arrest of three ISIS members who were operating in the cities of Tetouan (North) and Agadir (South).

The arrest of the three individuals, aged between 25 and 26, was made by the special units of the central bureau of judicial investigation (BCIJ), dubbed Morocco’s FBI, said the Moroccan Interior ministry in a press release.

The BCIJ agents searched their homes and found knives, a military uniform, jihadist propaganda documents and computing equipment, says a press release issued by the Interior Ministry.

Preliminary investigation shows that members of this cell swore allegiance to the “Emir” of the ISIS terror group and were planning to carry out terrorist operations in the Kingdom through explosive devices with poisonous items.

The dismantling of this cell shows that the North African Kingdom is still targeted by the terrorist group, which remains determined to commit terrorist acts in Morocco and elsewhere in the world.

Morocco has a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies.

Thanks to this strategy, there have been no terrorist attacks on Moroccan soil since 2011. The authorities have placed counterterrorism at the top of priorities following the Casablanca terror attacks in 2003 and the subsequent attacks of 2007 and 2011.

Morocco’s counterterrorism efforts mitigated the risk of terrorism, but the country continues to face threats, largely from numerous small, independent violent extremist cells.