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Africa North
Morocco says it foiled major Islamic State plot
2025-02-25
[IsraelTimes] Moroccan authorities say they arrested a dozen people this month allegedly planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert.

The discovery of the terrorist cell and what authorities called an “imminent dangerous terrorist plot” reflect the expanding ambitions of extremist groups in the region.

Authorities do not provide details of the suspects’ motives or their plot, beyond saying they planned to set off bombs remotely. They release photographs and videos showing officers raiding terrorist cells throughout the country.

The images show weapons stockpiles found during police raids, Islamic State flags drawn on walls, and thousands of dollars of cash.

The revelation of the plot comes days after Morocco hosted Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev for a traffic safety conference. Regev cut her visit short last week after bombs exploded on empty buses near Tel Aviv Thursday.

“Morocco remains a major target in the agenda of all terrorist organizations operating in the Sahel,” Habboub Cherkaoui, the head of Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, says at a news conference.

Authorities say the Morocco-based cell called itself “the Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb
Golly. I’m impressed…
and took direction from Islamic State in the Sahel commanders.

The weapons found include materials to make explosives including nail bombs, dynamite and gas cylinders as well as knives, rifles and handguns whose serial numbers had been filed off.

Investigators say the 12 men arrested ranged from 18 to 40 years old and were apprehended in nine different cities, including Casablanca, Fez and Tangier. The majority were unmarried and had not finished high school. They have not yet been charged under Morocco’s anti-terrorism laws.

Based on materials gathered in raids last week, authorities were able to locate a cache of weapons in the desert near Morocco’s border with Algeria, including firearms and ammunition wrapped in newspapers printed in Mali in late January.
Related:
Islamic State in the Sahel: 2020-06-12 About 10 dead in jihadist attack on Ivory Coast border post
Islamic State in the Sahel: 2017-11-28 The Niger Ambush - The Toxic Mix of AFRICOM and Human Terrain Operations
Islamic State in the Sahel: 2014-08-16 Maghreb al-Qaeda torn apart by ISIS
Related:
Moroccan: 2025-02-16 Airstrikes Target ISIS Positions in Puntland’s Bari Region, Killing 30 Fighters
Moroccan: 2025-02-13 Interior minister orders 3 Palestinians to be deported for alleged terror support
Moroccan: 2025-02-13 Syria to try captured pro-Assad Algerian, Polisario fighters
Posted by:trailing wife

#1  Lions of the Caliphate

Not to be critical, but "Caliphate of the Lions" might have a better chance with Disney.
Posted by: Pancho Poodle8452   2025-02-25 01:55  

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