Speaking at a press briefing organized by the BCIJ, Habboub pointed out that “the dismantling of this cell, shortly after the busting the three brothers’ cell, both marked by external influence in terms of recruitment, ideological and operational indoctrination, concretely shows that Morocco is simultaneously facing external and internal terrorist threats”. He added that this reality is reflected in the involvement of local elements in the expansionist agenda of terrorist organizations active in the Sahel, posing a challenge to Morocco.
Habboub emphasized that terrorist groups and their affiliated networks openly declare, through their propaganda platforms, their intent to target Morocco under various pretexts, inciting their followers to carry out retaliatory attacks on both local and foreign interests within the Kingdom.
“To contextualize these external threats, it is essential to recall the media appearance by former Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) emir Abdelmalek Droukdel on May 9, 2007, the statement by Al-Qaeda’s General Command on November 18, 2023, and statements issued by Daesh, which directly mention Morocco”, he said.
The involvement of foreign elements in terrorist plots against Morocco is not a new phenomenon, Habboub pointed out, citing the case of a recent cell orchestrated remotely by Abderrahmane Assahraoui, a senior leader of the “Islamic State in the Sahel” and a key figure in the group’s “External Operations Committee.” He noted that “the Moroccan experience is full of examples illustrating the persistence of terrorist groups to target Morocco”.
In this regard, he recalled the case of the Daesh emissary to the Maghreb, who was arrested on January 25, 2015, in the Beni Drar region near Oujda. The suspect was found in possession of substantial quantities of chemicals used in explosive manufacturing, as well as firearms and communication equipment.
He indicated that local elements who fail to join Daesh camps in Africa, do not hesitate to plan terrorist acts in Morocco, in execution of the calls of the leaders of this terrorist organization who incite its followers to attack traditional targets by any possible means, like the members of the terrorist cell involved in the assassination of a police officer on the outskirts of Casablanca in March 2023, noting that investigations had revealed that they had committed this crime after failing to join their acolytes within the Somali branch of “Daesh”.
Beyond the numerous cells dismantled between 2008 and 2010, which had planned attacks in Morocco, Habboub underscored that the presence of Moroccan operatives within terrorist groups in the Sahel, whether affiliated with Al-Qaeda or Daesh, such as Noureddine El Youbi, Ali Maychou, and Mohamed Lemkhentar—now deceased— increases the threat from this region, since the latter were examining the opportunity to extend the activism of their groups inside the Kingdom.
This evolving reality, Habboub warned, signals dangerous future scenarios, given the growing appeal of extremist ideologies among radical circles in Morocco and the Sahel’s ongoing status as a stronghold for terrorist groups, particularly Daesh affiliates.
Despite the efforts against the networks transporting fighters, such as the cell dismantled on January 29-30, 2024, between Casablanca, Inezgane, Tangier and Beni Mellal, more than 130 Moroccan fighters have managed to join the branches of this group in the Sahel, West Africa and the Horn of Africa, he noted, explaining that some of them are in charge of important committees, particularly those related to external operations.
Highlighting the main characteristics of the dismantled cell and its interconnections with terrorist groups in the Sahel, which represent a threat to the region as a whole, Habboub stressed that the dismantling of this cell once again confirms Morocco’s image as a model in terms of security vigilance and efficiency in preserving its internal security, as well as the stability of its regional and international environment.
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