In a major sweep for extremists, Morocco has detained 131 suspected Islamic terrorists, judicial officials said. Those arrested were identified as members of Salafia Jihadia, an Islamic militant group believed linked to Al Qaida that was blamed for deadly attacks in Casablanca in 2003. The Rabat public prosecutor's office said in a statement late on Tuesday that six of the suspects were arrested in Algeria and turned over to Moroccan authorities. More raids followed, leading to the detention of seven others in the Moroccan city of Sale, near Rabat. Moroccan newspapers said the sweep took place last month. In Algeria, the six allegedly received military training from Algeria's Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known as GSPC, which has declared allegiance to Al Qaida. Mustapha El Khayri, believed to be the head of a nascent terrorist cell, was among those detained in Algeria. The suspects, aged 18 to 31, are accused of possession of weapons, theft and forming a group to prepare and commit terrorist acts in Morocco. |