The dismantled terrorist cell, last week, was linked to ISIS's Sahel branch, which sought to establish a Moroccan presence. The group of 12 members, aged 18-40, received direct orders from the Sahelian «External Operations Committee» to plan and execute attacks. The terrorist cell recently dismantled in several Moroccan cities was a strategic project of the «Sahel wilaya of Daech» aimed at establishing its branch in Morocco, said Cherkaoui Habboub, Director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), in Salé on Monday. Speaking at a press briefing organized by the BCIJ, Habboub stated that «the danger of this cell lies not only in the number of arrests, but also in the fact that it is part of a project by the 'Daech wilaya in the Sahel' to establish a branch in the Kingdom». «This is confirmed by the way the Sahelian branch's 'External Operations Committee' managed this cell, instructing its members to form a select committee to coordinate on terrorist plans, execute them, and relay orders to other elements», he emphasized. Explaining the key features and connections of this cell to terrorist organizations operating in the Sahel, Habboub stated that 12 suspects had been arrested so far, aged between 18 and 40. Regarding the arrested individuals' profiles, he mentioned that eight had no more than secondary school education, three had primary school education, and only one had completed the first year of university. Socially, he noted that only two members were married with children, while most held modest, occasional jobs. Morocco, a top target for terrorist groups in Sahel Habboub also pointed out that initial investigations had revealed that the members of this cell were closely linked to the «external operations committee» of the Sahelian ISIS branch, headed by the late Adnan Abou Walid al-Sahraoui. The terrorist project carried out by the cell members had the blessing of this branch, which had recently sent a video inciting them to act, signaling the imminent execution phase of the operations. «Despite repeated attempts by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqmi) and groups affiliated with Daech to establish themselves in Morocco, the dismantling of this cell, just weeks after the neutralization of the 'three brothers' cell in Had Soualem (a suburb of Casablanca), confirms that Morocco, with its commitment to international counter-terrorism efforts, remains a priority target for all terrorist groups active in the Sahel region», Habboub pointed out. In this context, Habboub emphasized that Moroccan security services were the first to alert the international community to the African continent's strategic importance in al-Qaeda's agenda. As the root of many current terrorist groups, al-Qaeda has exacerbated the chaos in several Sahelian countries. This is why Moroccan authorities have remained on high alert, proactively anticipating, countering, and neutralizing threats from terrorist factions that maintain ties with separatist militias and organized crime networks in the region. Habboub also recalled that Moroccan security services had dismantled more than 40 cells with direct links to terrorist organizations in the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa, some of which specialized in sending Moroccan fighters for paramilitary training, while others operated under the control of «war emirs» affiliated with these organizations. Habboub cited the terrorist cell dismantled in December 2005 in Tangier, led by «Ibrahim», which had links in Spain and with the former GSPC, which had evolved into a Sahel-Saharan organization. Investigations revealed that the group's emir had spent two months in a training camp in Mali before being tasked with creating a logistical base to prepare a series of attacks in Morocco, with support from a North African explosives expert. A terror cell remotely managed The discovery of an arms cache in the Errachidia region, he continued, echoed the AQIM-linked Amgala cell dismantled in January 2011. This cell also had a weapons depot 220 km from Laayoune, only accessible via geolocation, provided by a single individual, using the same method adopted by the current structure. A point in common between both cells was their remote management. The Amgala cell was operated from Mali by the late Moroccan AQIM executive Noureddine El Youbi. According to the BCIJ director, «While investigations continue to uncover any additional links of the cell members and their potential cross-border ramifications, this security operation highlights the increasing tendency of African branches of Daech and others to internationalize their operations, reviving external missions under the parent group's leadership». «This is evident in the presence of numerous foreign fighters within their ranks, as demonstrated by the December 31, 2024 attack by the Somali branch of ISIS against Puntland's armed forces, executed entirely by foreign fighters, including two Moroccan suicide bombers who died during the operation», Habboub recalled. He added that the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa region is currently witnessing intense terrorist activity, with groups taking advantage of factors favorable to their survival, including ethnic and tribal conflicts, political instability, vast territories, and weak state authority, alongside the convergence of terrorist groups and criminal gangs. In conclusion, the BCIJ director stated that this situation poses a significant threat to North African and European states, with terrorist leaders demonstrating their ability to adapt to shifts in areas under their influence.
