Moroccan security forces arrested terrorist cell composed of seven members in the western city of Hadida, as they raided their stronghold on Thursday seizing a large amount of weapons and explosives, according to a statement from Morocco’s Interior Ministry.
It added that the Central Office for Judicial Researches, specialized in combating terrorism, managed to undermine a plan from ISIS to execute a terrorist attack in the country.
The statement added that the cell’s members were preparing for extremist operations in Morocco at the behest of ISIS leaders, as they also were planning to recruit large number of young Moroccans to join the extremist group and to carry out terrorist operation inside the country to terrorize the people and destabilize the country.
A security source said, on condition of anonymity, that the Moroccan security exchanged fire with the extremists, stressing that they seized a large amount of weapons and ammunition in addition to knives and wireless communication devices.
The Moroccan authorities dissolved the cell in coincidence with the increasing threats launched by Moroccan fighters working with ISIS to execute terrorist attacks in the country.