Morocco: IS-affiliated terrorist cell dismantled

Event

On February 21 Moroccan security authorities announced that a terrorist cell had been dismantled in early February in Tangier and Meknès. The cell included six individuals, now in custody, who were allegedly planning to carry out attacks in Morocco with suspected ties to the Islamic State (IS).

Context

More than 150 terrorist cells have been dismantled in Morocco since 2002, including 40 in the past three years. It is estimated that over 1600 Moroccans have traveled to fight with IS in Syria and Iraq, 400 of whom died in combat.

While no major attacks have occurred in recent years, the threat remains high. Several attacks have been carried out on Moroccan soil in the past decade, notably a 2011 bombing at a café in Marrakesh that killed 17 people.

Advice

Due to the significant terrorist threat, individuals in Morocco are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to exercise caution at all times, particularly when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.), especially in major cities such as Marrakesh, Rabat, and Casablanca.