Rabat – The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) today held a press conference in its sales center, which contains details on the main subject thoroughly Terroristment on February 19.
BCIJ boss Haboub Cherkaoui informed details about the ongoing studies on the thwarted action and emphasized that preparations for the terrorist attacks had reached an advanced stage in order to target 12 places throughout Morocco.
The BCIJ officer explained that the terrorist cell with “Khalifa Lions in Maghrib al-Aksa” had direct connections to an ISIS leader who worked in the African Sahel region.
The BCIJ operation, which culminated in the arrest of 12 extremists on February 19, followed almost a year of surveillance and checked and prevented what the BCIJ head described as a “highly dangerous terrorist attack on Morocco”.
Operating details specified
During the press conference, Charkaoui, such as the BCIJ, who acted on secret services of the Directorate General for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), had the 12 suspects in several Moroccan cities such as Laayoune, Casablanca, FEZ, Taunate, Azemmour, Guercif, Olter, Olter, arrested , arrested. Teima and Tamesna near Rabat.
“The suspects recently had carried out Education of targeted places in several Moroccan cities, ”said Charkaoui.
“Search processes showed significant explosive devices, materials that are suspected for the production of explosives and knives.”
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Further investigations led to the discovery of an weapon cache in a remote area of the province of Errachidia, which “contained two Kalashnikov rifles with ammunition magazines, two firearms, ten single pistols of various types and a large amount of live ammunition” and newspapers from Mali from 15. and January 27, 2025.
The examinations are underway to reveal the source of the confiscated weapons.
One of the suspects had already “shaved his beard and prepared his passport”, revealing plans to join terrorist groups in the Sahel region immediately after the planned terrorist attacks were carried out.
Arrested terrorist profiles
The 12 arrested extremists between the ages of 18 and 40 share similar features, especially the level of education.
“Eight of the suspects not Three exceeds secondary school formation, only have basic training, during one thing only the first university year, ”explained Cherkaoui.
Most members were unmarried and employed in simple, casual professions. Studies showed that they were in direct contact with a prominent ISIS leader in the Sahel region and were identified as Libyan citizens as Abderrahmane Sahraou.
Cherkaoui further detailed that “technical examinations gave GPS coordinates for a weapon and ammunitions cache that was prepared in the eastern border of the kingdom”.
“After more than three hours of topographical scanning and combing, the cache was found that were buried at an isolated place on the bottom of a rocky height.”
ISIS -Proxy strategy in Morocco
The operations of the cell show A moved pattern of “remote-controlled terrorism” from the Sahel region, with local agents playing the role of ISIS proxy in Morocco.
“The danger of this cell is not only in its diverse goals, but also in a strategic project for Isis’ Sahel region to establish a branch in Morocco,” said Cherkaoui.
Under guidelines of the “Foreign Operations Committee” by Isis, the cell created a miniature committee that is responsible for coordinating terrorist plans, implementation methods and orders to other members.
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The operation signals a new trend among ISIS and other terrorist groups that work in the Sahel region, a strategy that aims to stop local agents in Morocco.
The newly found terrorist action is reminiscent of similar patterns in previous thwarted terrorist plans. “The discovery of the weapons cache in the Errachidia region is reminiscent of the AMGALA cell, which was connected to Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb in January 2011,” said Cherkaoui.
In addition, without further details, Cherkaoui mentioned the growing connections between terrorist groups, separatist militias and criminal groups that warn of the potential danger of such coordination.
Reaction of fighting terrorism
Today’s press conference pointed out how Morocco is exposed to double external and internal terrorist threats, which indicates the tireless efforts of the country to contain the growth of extremism in its territory.
Cherkaoui spoke of the growing number of local terrorists who deal in the expansionist agenda of terrorist organizations that are active in the Sahel region.
“When all attempts by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and the organizations that were borrowed from ISIS and the lights that have no longer come into Morocco in Morocco, the dismantling of this cell neutralization The “three brothers’ cells” near Casablanca confirms that the Kingdom of Morocco is a central goal on the agenda of all terrorist organizations active in the Sahel region, ”said Charkaoui.
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The thwarted terrorist plans reflect the preventive approach of BCIJ and the important role of international cooperation.
The DGST spokesman Boubker Sebki said of the inclusion of citizens in fighting terrorism, especially on social media, the creation of a digital platform “Yakada”, about which citizens can report terrorist or extremist content that they encounter on social media.
Morocco’s vigilance against terrorism
The newly thwarted operation reflected The continuing vigilance of the North African country against terrorist threats.
“Morocco was a pioneer to grant the alarm at an international level with regard to the strategic importance that Africa takes on the agenda of terrorist organizations,” added the BCIJ boss.
The Security Authorities Moroccos have broken down over 40 terrorist cells with direct solid connections to terrorist organizations in the African Sahel region.
The series of operations, including the latest, is the proof of the ongoing efforts of Morocco to combat terrorist threats, with the growing influence of groups Sahel -based and their attempts to establish operational networks within the country.
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