Morocco dismantles terrorist cell in Tangier, Oued Zem

CASABLANCA - A terrorist cell was dismantled Thursday in the cities of Tangier and Oued Zem, said the Interior Ministry in a statement.
Rabat said that the suspected cell, which was composed of eight members aged between 21 and 31 years, had been "Infused with the extremist ideology" of the Islamic state group.
“These individuals sought to obtain equipment and materials for the manufacture of bombs and explosive belts, in preparation for terrorist operations (...) in several cities of the kingdom," it said.
The arrest, which was conducted by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), resulted in the seizure of "a shotgun, cartridges and whiteheads," in addition to "electronic equipment and publications" glorifying the jihadist group, it added.
Morocco was a victim of terror attacks in Casablanca in 2003 and Marrakech in 2011, which killed a total of 50 people and injured dozens.
In 2017, the BCIJ dismantled nine "terrorist structures" and "neutralized 186 suspected terrorists," according to a recent report released by the local press. Since 2015, it has neutralized "49 structures that planned, according to the same source.