Morocco says it dismantled ISIL-linked cell planning attack
Moroccan authorities say they have dismantled a cell linked to the ISIL affiliate in Sahel Province after raids across several cities uncovered weapons, chemicals and materials described as part of an attack plot. Police said 10 suspects were arrested in the operation, which they said foiled a planned attack that was already in an advanced stage of preparation. The case is being presented by officials as one of the most significant counterterrorism actions in the country this year.
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The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, Morocco's main counterterrorism agency, said the searches were carried out simultaneously in several Moroccan cities. Officers seized bladed weapons, military-style clothing, bomb-making instructions, digital material and chemicals, according to the statement. Police also found a car they said had been modified for use in either a bombing or a ramming attack, adding that a warehouse linked to the cell contained butane gas cylinders and pressure cookers filled with nails and wired for detonation.
Officials said the suspects were connected to the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, often referred to as ISSP. The description suggests the group was operating with support or inspiration from the wider network of ISIL-linked factions active across the Sahel and West Africa. Morocco has largely been spared the scale of violence seen in parts of the region, but authorities say 130 Moroccan citizens have been recruited by ISSP in recent years.
The operation matters because it points to the continuing reach of Sahel-based militant networks beyond their core area of activity. Recent years have seen a rise in attacks and territorial pressure from ISIL and al-Qaeda affiliates across the Sahel, including in neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Morocco's security services have repeatedly warned that regional instability can create risks for countries farther north, even where domestic violence remains comparatively limited.
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The last attack in Morocco linked to an ISIL-affiliated group was in 2023, when three men killed a police officer in Casablanca. That attack remains a reference point for officials assessing the threat from radicalised cells and cross-border militant influence. The latest arrests also underline the role of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in tracking suspected networks before they can move from planning to execution.
What remains unclear is the intended target, the timing of the planned attack and whether the suspects acted under direct instruction from outside Morocco. Authorities have not said whether further arrests are expected. The case is likely to remain under close watch as investigators examine the seized material and try to establish the full extent of the network.
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