(Rabat) Moroccan security services arrested a suspected supporter of the Islamic State (IS) organization on Thursday and foiled a planned bombing in Morocco, in coordination with US intelligence agencies, the government said on Friday. anti-terrorism police (BCIJ).
“This interpellation is the crowning […] the close coordination between the services of the DGST (General Directorate of Territorial Security) of the Kingdom of Morocco, the intelligence services and law enforcement agencies in the United States ”, said, without further details , the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) in a press release.
The suspect arrested is “an extremist partisan of the organization known as the” Islamic State “, aged 24 and active in the region of Sala Al Jadida, north of Rabat, the statement said.
He was taken into custody as part of the investigation conducted by the BCIJ under the supervision of the anti-terrorism prosecution.
According to preliminary investigations, the man pledged allegiance to ISIS.
He is said to have planned to join the jihadist group’s camps abroad “before deciding recently to join a terrorist project in Morocco by using explosive devices,” the statement added.
Following searches, the police seized electronic devices as well as materials and products that could be used in the preparation of explosives.
“This security operation shows the importance and effectiveness of bilateral cooperation between the DGST and the American security and intelligence services in the field of the fight against violent extremism and terrorist dangers at the international level”, underlined the BCIJ.
On December 8, Moroccan websites reported a massive counterterrorism crackdown in several cities in Morocco, but the information has not been confirmed from an official source.
On October 6, the anti-terrorist police announced the dismantling in Tangier (north) of a “terrorist cell” linked to the Islamic State group and the arrest of five suspects who planned to carry out bomb attacks.
In September, another cell affiliated with ISIS was dismantled in southern Morocco and seven people arrested.
Since 2002, Moroccan police have dismantled more than 2,000 “terrorist cells” and arrested more than 3,500 people in connection with terrorism-related cases, according to data released in February by the BCIJ.