Dismantled terrorist cell in Morocco had base in mountains

RABAT - The research and investigation led by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), of the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), as part of the ongoing investigation into the dismantling of a terrorist cell linked to the Daech organization in the Sahel region, have gathered field information backed up by technical data on the existence of a mountainous area, suspected of being used as a logistical support base for arms and ammunition intended for members of this cell to carry out its terrorist plots.

Technical expertise and satellite geolocation, carried out with the help of coordinates and geographical data seized as part of the investigation, made it possible to locate the suspected area in the province of Errachidia, more precisely on the east bank of Oued Guir at “Tal Mzil”, in the commune and village of Oued El Naam, in the Boudenib region, on the Kingdom's eastern border, according to a press release from the DGSN-DGST Hub.

Field observations and geographical combing operations revealed that the suspected area is located at the foot of a rocky hill, with difficult unpaved access, which required the mobilization and deployment of logistical equipment to facilitate access to the intervention site and carry out the necessary inspection procedures and preliminary searches.

In application of the safety and security protocol relating to terrorist threats, particularly in places suspected of harboring weapons and explosive substances, the BCIJ used canine patrols specialized in the detection of explosives, metal detectors, a device for detecting and identifying the nature of suspicious substances, robots for detecting explosive devices and an X-ray scanner.

The search and combing operations, which lasted more than three hours, led to the discovery of a cargo of weapons and ammunition buried in a remote location at the foot of a rocky hill, wrapped in plastic bags and newspapers printed in Mali, including weekly publications from January 27, 2025. 

The weapons seized during this operation include a Kalashnikov rifle with two magazines, two rifles, ten pistols of various calibers, and a large quantity of cartridges and bullets of different calibers.

The seized weapons and ammunition have been sealed and inventoried in detail for submission to the National Laboratory of Forensic Police for the necessary ballistic and technical examinations.

Investigations conducted at this stage of the inquiry reveal that the weapons and materials were supplied and sent by a leader of the Daesh organization in the Sahel, responsible for external relations, through illegal trafficking routes and channels.

After securing the trafficking of weapons and ammunition and ensuring their concealment in this logistical support rear base, the Daesh leader sent the geographical coordinates of the location to the team of "coordinators" within the dismantled terrorist cell on Wednesday, so they could move to retrieve them and begin using them in the execution of their terrorist projects.

In parallel with these field operations, the research and investigations carried out by the BCIJ continue, under the supervision of the competent prosecutor’s office, to uncover all the ramifications of this terrorist cell and identify all its links with the African branch of the Daesh organization in the Sahel.