Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), acting on intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), announced on Monday that it had thwarted a major terrorist plot in its final stages of preparation, aimed at targeting public security, people, and property across the country.
Simultaneous security operations were carried out in Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, El Hajeb, Tetouan, Fquih Ben Salah, and Safi, leading to the arrest of ten suspected extremists, including a former terrorism convict and a minor.
According to investigators, the suspects were operating with logistical support and direct guidance from the Sahel branch of the so-called Islamic State (Daesh). They had allegedly pledged allegiance to the group’s leader and were instructed to remain in Morocco to carry out terrorist attacks against sensitive sites and strategic facilities.
Search operations uncovered knives, military uniforms, extremist documents explaining how to manufacture explosive devices, digital storage devices, and propaganda videos containing allegiance pledges and explicit threats against Morocco.
Authorities also discovered a warehouse in Inzegane containing a modified four-wheel-drive vehicle believed to have been intended for a suicide bombing or vehicle-ramming attack. Gas cylinders, pressure cookers, chemical substances, electrical equipment, and other materials suspected of being used in bomb-making were also seized for forensic examination.
The adult suspects have been placed in police custody, while the minor remains under judicial supervision. Investigations are continuing under the supervision of the anti-terrorism prosecutor to identify the network’s national and international connections.