Moroccan authorities have detained twelve individuals accused of orchestrating attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, highlighting the growing threat of extremist activities in the region, officials announced. The arrests reveal the organization’s extended reach and ambitious plans.
While specifics regarding the suspects’ intentions are scant, it has been disclosed that they intended to execute explosions using remote devices. Released images and videos depict law enforcement officers conducting raids on several terrorist cells across the nation, unveiling weapon caches, Islamic State insignia, and substantial cash reserves.
At a press briefing, Habboub Cherkaoui, head of Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, described Morocco as a primary target for terrorism from organizations operating within the Sahel. The region has seen increased militant activity, especially after French military forces began withdrawing from areas like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Islamic State factions have capitalized on the ongoing instability, seizing control of strategic routes and launching violent campaigns.
Extremist factions, particularly in the Sahel, often find recruits among impoverished communities disillusioned by inadequate governance. This situation poses a regional threat, unsettling neighboring countries and raising concerns among western nations about potential acts of international terrorism.
The group apprehended in Morocco branded itself “the Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb” and reportedly received directives from Sahel-based Islamic State leaders. Moroccan intelligence, through more than a year of surveillance, discovered that these leaders sought to enlist, arm, and guide Moroccan sympathizers for attacks within the country.
The confiscated weaponry included materials for manufacturing explosives such as nail bombs and dynamite, alongside weapons like knives, rifles, and pistols with obliterated serial numbers. The arrested suspects, between 18 and 40 years old, were captured across nine cities including Casablanca, Fez, and Tangier. Most were unmarried and had not completed secondary education. Formal charges under Morocco’s anti-terrorism statutes are pending.
Law enforcement discovered a weapons stash near the Algerian border, containing firearms and MSA ammunition wrapped in Malian newspaper from late January. The group maintained links to Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, a militant leader from Western Sahara killed in 2021, and Libyan commander Abderrahmane Sahraoui, a key figure in operations beyond the Sahel.
A terrorist incident could severely impact Morocco’s economy, heavily reliant on tourism, a sector supporting over 7% of its GDP and attracting over 17 million visitors last year alone. Although Morocco has not seen a significant terrorist strike in over a decade, authorities persistently emphasize the persisting threat and claim they regularly thwart plots by dismantling terror cells, citing the dismantling of over 40 such cells in recent years.
Cherkaoui warned that the Islamic State in the Sahel aspires to extend operations into Morocco, or recruit Moroccans to engage in overseas conflicts like in Somalia. He noted that aggressive propaganda targets Morocco, partially due to its proactive counterterrorism strategies. Morocco has positioned itself as a regional leader against violent extremism, recently reinforcing military alliances with new Sahel governments, including a defense pact with Mali last month.
