Speaking at a press briefing organized by the BCIJ, Habboub declared that these operations led to the arrest of 12 members in the cities of Laayoune, Casablanca, Fes, Taounate, Tangier, Azemmour, Guercif, Oulad Teima, and Tamesna (a suburb of Rabat), who had recently conducted reconnaissance to identify potential targets in several Moroccan cities.
He added that based on accurate intelligence provided by the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the BCIJ successfully thwarted a highly dangerous terrorist plot targeting Morocco, instigated directly by senior Daesh leader Abderrahmane Assahraoui, a Libyan national operating in the Sahel region.
Searches and raids carried out as part of this operation initially led to the seizure of a large number of devices and materials intended for the preparation of an imminent and large-scale terrorist plan. These included explosive devices ready to be detonated, suspicious substances used in the manufacturing of explosives, as well as bladed weapons, he explained.
Preliminary technical investigations revealed that certain members of this cell, responsible for coordination, possessed GPS coordinates and specific addresses linked to an arms and ammunition cache intended for the group’s members to execute their sinister plans, Habboub emphasized.
This cache, he stated, is located in the province of Errachidia, precisely on the eastern bank of “Oued Guir” at “Tel Mzil,” in the commune and district of “Oued N’aam,” in the “Boudnib” region, along the border area in the Eastern region.
Habboub noted that cartographic reconnaissance and search operations revealed that this cache was located at the base of a rugged rocky formation, making access difficult. This required the deployment of appropriate logistical resources, the activation of security and safety protocols applicable to terrorist threats, and the mobilization of specialized canine units trained in explosive detection, metal and hazardous substance detection robots, and an X-ray scanning system.
The search and combing operations, which lasted approximately three hours, led to the discovery of a stockpile of weapons and ammunition buried in a secluded location at the base of the rocky formation, he continued.
The weapons seized during this operation, according to the BCIJ Director, include two Kalashnikov assault rifles with two magazines, two hunting rifles, ten handguns of various calibers, and a significant quantity of cartridges and ammunition of different calibers. These were wrapped in plastic bags and newspapers printed in Mali, among which were weeklies dated January 15 and 27, 2025.
Ballistic analysis conducted by experts from the National Security’s Forensic Science Institute determined that these weapons were in good working condition and that their serial numbers had been deliberately erased to conceal their origin. Additionally, the barrels of some weapons had been shortened to facilitate concealment and transport.
Investigations show that seized arms and equipment were provided and shipped by a senior Daesh leader in the Sahel, “Abderrahmane Assahraoui the Libyan”, who had been in communication with smuggling networks and had facilitated the delivery of this arsenal to the terrorist cell members, Habboub stressed.
Due to the vigilance of security services, these weapons were seized, thereby preventing a potential catastrophe had the cell members succeeded in obtaining this arsenal, he concluded.
Comments
0