Morocco: Terrorist cell planning to assassinate public figures dismantled 

A Moroccan security official announced on Friday that a terrorist cell which was dismantled on Thursday was targeting “public figures and other military personnel”.

This came in a press conference by Adelhaq Al-Khayyam, director of the Central Bureau for Judicial Research of the General Directorate for National Land Monitoring, which was devoted to uncovering and dismantling the cell.

On Thursday, Moroccan authorities announced dismantling a terrorist cell consisting of five members, operating in the north of the kingdom.

“The extremists arrested pledged allegiance to the so called Daesh. The Daesh ideology will remain a security challenge to all countries, Morocco in particular, being at the gateway of the coastal area,” added Al-Khayyam.

The Moroccan Ministry of Interior confirmed in statement on Thursday that the cell was planning attacks targeting many facilities and sensitive targets with explosive charges and suicide belts, aiming to destabilise the kingdom’s security and stability to serve Daesh’s agenda.

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According to the ministry’s statement: “A modal symbolising Daesh’s logo, three explosive vests in process, plastic tubes needed to make explosive belts, three kilograms of ammonium nitrate and other substances were found during the operation.”

The statement disclosed: “Operations were carried out simultaneously in the cities of Tangier, Tifelt, Temara and Skhirat, resulting in the arrests of five extremists between the ages of 29 and 43.”