The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) announced on Sunday, January 26, 2025, the arrest of four people during an anti-terrorism operation in Had Soualem (Casablanca) that mobilized significant resources.
The operation, carried out by the special forces of the DGST in coordination with senior officials and officers of the BCIJ, as well as in field cooperation with the air and judicial units of the Royal Gendarmerie, resulted in the arrest of three brothers and another person linked to the terrorist organization Daesh . According to the security services, the suspects are 26, 29, 31 and 35 years old.
This operation was carried out in two residential buildings in the Al Omrane housing estate and the Oulad Jamaâ neighborhood in Had Soualem, respectively. Experts in explosives detection, a canine unit consisting of police dogs specialized in detecting explosive devices, and a Royal Gendarmerie helicopter with special snipers from the DGST special units were mobilized for the operations.
Anti-terror operation in Had Soualem (Casablanca). Ph. DGSN
The investigation began after the broadcast of a video in which the four suspects pledged allegiance to Daesh and announced their intention to carry out impending terrorist attacks. They had purchased the equipment from drugstores and stored it in one of them. Two of the arrested brothers had also conducted reconnaissance tours at different locations at different times, taking videos and photos of several potential targets. The suspects then planned to join Daesh camps in the Sahel.
During the searches, security forces found bladed weapons of various sizes, numerous bottles of chemical liquids and powders, bags full of chemical fertilizers, sulfur, charcoal powder, as well as salts and other suspicious substances. They also discovered electrical cables, welding equipment and adhesive tape that were probably intended for the production of explosives.
