Marrakech- Because most Moroccan jihadists fighting in Iraq and Syria are from the cities of Tetouan and Tangier, Spanish authorities are beginning to worry about the safety of the adjacent occupied city of Ceuta.
This issue came to Spanish national attention after reports published in the El Mundo regarding a study conducted by Spain’s Royal Elcano Institute (El Real Instituto Elcano), and the General Directorate of the National Security of Morocco concerning the sources of religious extremism in the country.
The results revealed that 30% of the more than 1,000 of Moroccan fighters in Middle East are from Tetouan or Tangier.
Due to the close distance between Ceuta and Tetouan (35km) and Tangier (46km), Spain considers Moroccan jihadists a threat to the security of the occupied city.
Tangier produces the most jihadists of any Moroccan city, with 16.6 percent of fighters originating there. It is followed by Fez with a rate of 15 percent, Casablanca with 13.8 percent, Tetouan with 13.4 percent, and Salé with 9 percent. The remaining 32 percent of fighters come from other cities.
Last September, media reports said that the Islamic State had established a number of cells in Tangier and Laarache, believed to be in charge of recruiting jihadist and sending them to Syria.
Edited by Timothy Filla
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed.
