Latest news with #Daech
Ya Biladi
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spain arrests suspected Daech member in joint operation With Morocco
Spain's Guardia Civil announced on Friday the arrest of an individual in Guadalajara, central Spain, for membership in the terrorist organization «Daech», in a joint operation with Morocco's Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire (DGST). «Thanks to the close cooperation between the two security services, the individual's presence on Spanish territory was confirmed, allowing judicial proceedings against him in Morocco for terrorism-related offenses to be reactivated», the Guardia Civil said in a statement. Following his arrest, the suspect was brought before a judge at the Audiencia Nacional, the Spanish court responsible for handling international arrest warrants, the statement added. The Guardia Civil emphasized that combating terrorist threats remains a top priority for both national and international counterterrorism agencies. This operation is part of the ongoing collaboration between Spain and Morocco in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and reflects both countries' commitment to regional and international security.
Ya Biladi
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco intensifies counterterrorism measures after dismantling of «Lions of the Caliphate» cell
The level of vigilance must remain high to neutralize and thwart terrorist plans targeting Morocco, said Boubker Sabik, spokesperson for the National Security and Territorial Surveillance services, in a press briefing on Monday, February 24, 2025, in Salé. Sabik explained that terrorist organizations do not operate according to a fixed agenda but seek the right opportunity to carry out attacks. Morocco is fully committed to regional and international cooperation, particularly through information exchange from field searches, to neutralize threats and expand related operations. He also reported an increase in terrorist ideology, noting that «Daech» exports terrorist operations by creating specialized units for external attacks. He discussed the dismantling of the «Lions of the Caliphate in Al Maghreb Al Aqsa» cell, with ongoing efforts to identify its links with smuggling and organized crime networks, leaving all avenues open for investigation. Sabik cautioned against doubting the dismantling operations, particularly as individuals linked to these groups spread rumors to create fear. The cell operated under the direction of Abderrahman Al-Sahraoui, a senior Libyan Daech leader in the Sahel region. It had a pyramid-like structure where coordinators were in direct contact with Al-Sahraoui, while other members were kept isolated from him. The coordinators transmitted «terrorist instructions» to a team responsible for executing attacks, supported by a cell tasked with financing, indicating strategic planning by Daech to establish a presence in Morocco. Seized weapons, including equipment connected to cell phones, suggested plans for remote detonations. Investigations also revealed that several suspects had consulted online resources on handling firearms. Mohamed Nifaoui, Comptroller General of Police at the BCIJ, emphasized that terrorist groups are exploiting security gaps in the Sahel and using cross-border smuggling networks, with Morocco facing this challenge professionally. Nifaoui also noted that new communication technologies, including propaganda platforms from al-Qaeda and Daech, pose an increasing challenge for Moroccan security forces. Extremists are increasingly utilizing the internet, leading to a new generation of virtual terrorists. Since 2016, Morocco has arrested 600 individuals involved in online extremism. He concluded that Morocco's security policy in counterterrorism is based on a strong, collective security doctrine, highlighting the country's efforts in international coordination with its allies and partners, translating into cooperation in intelligence and security and the proposal and adoption of initiatives.
Ya Biladi
21-02-2025
- Ya Biladi
Morocco uncovers suspected arms cache linked to dismantled ISIS-linked cell
Investigations by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) into a dismantled ISIS-linked terrorist cell in the Sahel have uncovered evidence of a mountainous area suspected of being used as a base to store weapons and ammunition for planned attacks. Using technical expertise and satellite geolocation, authorities analyzed coordinates and geographical data seized during the investigation. This led to the identification of the suspected site in the province of Errachidia, specifically on the eastern bank of Oued Guir at «Tal Mzil», in the commune and Caïdat of Oued El Naam, in the Boudenib region, near the Kingdom's eastern border, according to a press release from the Pôle DGSN-DGST. Field inspections and geographical sweeps confirmed that the site is located at the foot of a rocky hill with difficult, unpaved access, necessitating the deployment of specialized logistical equipment to facilitate access and conduct the required searches and inspections. In accordance with security protocols for terrorist threats—particularly in locations suspected of storing weapons and explosives—the BCIJ utilized specialized explosive-detection canine units, metal detectors, substance identification devices, explosive-detection robots, and an X-ray scanner. Search and combing operations, which lasted over three hours, uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition buried in a remote area at the base of the rocky hill. The cache was concealed in plastic bags and wrapped in Malian newspapers, including weeklies dated January 27, 2025. The seized weapons included a Kalashnikov rifle with two ammunition magazines, two additional rifles, ten pistols of various calibers, and a large quantity of cartridges and bullets. The weapons and ammunition were carefully documented and sealed before being sent to the Laboratoire National de la Police Scientifique for ballistic and forensic analysis. Investigations thus far indicate that the weapons were supplied by a senior ISIS leader in the Sahel, responsible for external operations. These arms were transported through illicit trafficking networks before being hidden at the logistical base. The Daech leader then transmitted the location's coordinates to the «coordinators» of the terrorist cell dismantled on Wednesday, instructing them to retrieve the weapons for use in planned attacks. Meanwhile, BCIJ investigations are ongoing, under the supervision of the relevant public prosecutor's office, to uncover the full extent of the terrorist cell's network and its links to Daech's African branch in the Sahel.
