https://arab.news/9259s
- Security forces also recovered butane gas cylinders, pressure cookers, some filled with nails and others connected to electrical wiring, at a warehouse used by the group, according to the statement
RABAT: Morocco’s counterterrorism agency said on Monday it had foiled attack plots targeting sensitive sites and public security by a cell loyal to Daesh’s affiliate in the Sahel.
Ten suspects were arrested in coordinated operations in the cities of Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, Hajjeb, Tetouan, Fqih Ben Salah and Safi, the agency, known as the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), said in a statement.
Preliminary investigations showed that the suspects had pledged allegiance to Daesh and received direct instructions from the group’s Sahel branch to carry out attacks in Morocco, it said.
The operation underscores the threat posed by terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, where Daesh and Al-Qaeda affiliates have expanded their presence in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
During searches, authorities found bladed weapons, military-style clothing, documents containing instructions on making explosive devices, digital materials, and chemical substances, BCIJ said.
Investigators also found a car that had been modified and was suspected of being intended for use in a suicide bombing or vehicle-ramming attack, the statement said.
Security forces also recovered butane gas cylinders, pressure cookers, some filled with nails and others connected to electrical wiring, at a warehouse used by the group, according to the statement.
On Tuesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom’s strongest condemnation and denunciation of the plots, expressing full solidarity with Morocco's security agencies for thwarting the threats.
#Statement | The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and denunciation in the strongest terms of the terrorist plots that sought to undermine public order and the safety of individuals and property in the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco. pic.twitter.com/3agjPIqKmY
— Foreign Ministry (@KSAmofaEN) July 7, 2026
In recent years, Daesh branches in Africa have recruited more than 130 Moroccan fighters, BCIJ figures show.
Since its establishment in 2015, the BCIJ has dismantled dozens of militant cells and arrested more than 1,000 suspected terrorists.
The last terrorist attack in the country was in 2023, when three individuals loyal to Daesh killed a Moroccan policeman in Casablanca.