Morocco foils Islamic State-linked attacks
The Moroccan authorities have arrested ten suspected members of a cell linked to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) affiliates in the Sahel and foiled attacks in the North African country, officials have said.
The suspects were arrested on Monday in coordinated raids in Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, El Hajeb, Tetouan, Fqih Ben Salah, and Safi, according to Morocco’s counterterrorism agency, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ).
The agency said the suspects received guidance and direct support from Islamic State’s branch in the Sahel and were preparing attacks aimed at undermining public order in Morocco.
Security forces seized weapons, chemicals, bomb-making equipment, knives, military-style uniforms, extremist manuscripts with detailed instructions on assembling explosive devices, digital equipment, and two recordings containing pledges of allegiance to IS.
Investigators also found a vehicle with a fuel tank modified to run on butane gas during a search of a warehouse in the city of Inezgane. The BCIJ said the vehicle was intended for use in a suicide bombing or ramming attack against sensitive targets and facilities.
The raids come amid repeated warnings from the UN Security Council and security analysts that extremist factions operating in the Sahel are seeking to extend their activities beyond their traditional strongholds in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where groups linked to IS and Al-Qaeda have expanded attacks on military and civilian targets.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the IS Sahel branch are among the most active armed groups in the region. Their fighters have carried out attacks across the tri-border area between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, while also targeting towns, military bases, and transportation routes.
Last month, Morocco’s counterterrorism chief, Habboub Cherkaoui, said IS branches in Africa have recruited more than 130 Moroccans in recent years. The North African nation has reported IS-linked plots, including a 2023 attack in Casablanca, the country’s largest city, where suspected IS militants killed a Moroccan policeman.
In February 2025, the BCIJ said it dismantled a 12-member cell loyal to IS that was planning attacks on national and foreign targets. In July 2025, the agency also announced the arrest of four suspected IS-linked extremists operating between the northern cities of Tetouan and Chefchaouen.
