Moroccan authorities have apprehended a 12-member cell accused of planning attacks on behalf of the IS in the Sahel group.
The discovery of the cell and what officials deem as a “dangerous terrorist plot” highlights growing extremist ambitions in the region.
The suspects planned to detonate bombs remotely, according to officials, but the motives and wider plot remain unclear. Raids uncovered weapons stockpiles, IS flags, and large sums of cash.
“The Sahel’s terrorist groups view Morocco as a primary target,” stated Habboub Cherkaoui, head of Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations.
Militant groups tied to IS and al-Qaeda have been expanding in the Sahel, seizing on instability in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Following the French troop withdrawal in 2022, IS in the Sahel has launched violent campaigns and seized lucrative transit routes.
The Morocco-based cell referred to itself as the “Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb,” taking orders from IS in the Sahel’s commanders.
Tracking over a year has shown these commanders recruiting, arming, and guiding sympathizers for attacks within Morocco.
The 12 suspects, aged 18 to 40, were arrested in various cities, including Casablanca, Fez, and Tangier, following directions from the Libyan commander Abderrahmane Sahraoui, according to authorities.
The suspects have not yet been charged under Morocco’s anti-terrorism laws.
Following last week’s operations, officials found a weapons cache in the desert near the Algeria border, including firearms and ammunition from Mali.
Cherkaoui stated that raids revealed IS in the Sahel’s aim to extend operations to Morocco or to recruit Moroccans for combat elsewhere, such as in Somalia.
He asserted the groups are not shy about their intention to target Morocco through propaganda and attribute the nation’s counterterrorism stance as a reason for being a target.
The most recent jihadist attack in Morocco occurred in 2023, when three individuals pledged to IS killed a police officer in Casablanca.
