February 22, 2016: Morocco’s secret service announced the dismantling of an active 10-member terror cell linked to ISIS which has been planning attacks in the country. Following credible intelligence, an ambush was launched that arrested the members, among them a French national.
The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation dubbed ‘Morocco’s FBI’ which is the anti-terrorist brigade was able to arrest the terror network leader in El Jadida a port city south of Casablanca.
During the raid a large cache of weapons among them an ISIS flag, four machine guns, rifles equipped with latest technology of viewfinder, 13 tear gas bombs among others explosives-making materials were recovered.
Additionally 6 jars of sulphur-containing fertilizer which when heated can cause toxic gas were recovered during the raid, chemicals to create tetanus toxin were also recovered at the safe house.
This weapons recovered are a clear indication that ISIS is slowly inserting itself in the Maghreb region and changing attack tactics from merely suicide attacks to incorporating chemical attacks.
Morocco has been facing serious threats from within and without its borders from extremist organizations among them al Qaeda and ISIS since 2002. The intelligence service in Morocco has however dismantled over 152 cells.
