Rabat - Terrorist threats made by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) for the New Year festivities caused the closure of some hotels and nightclubs across Morocco.
Rabat – Terrorist threats made by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) for the New Year festivities caused the closure of some hotels and nightclubs across Morocco.
As a safety measure to protect their guests, several of the country’s trendiest hotels and nightclubs were not open during the New Year’s Eve celebration on Thursday night.
“Terrorist threats result in the closure of hotels and nightclubs,” while others remained open but were subjected to strict monitoring by security services, Moroccan daily Al-Massae reported in its Friday issue.
“Terrorist threats have caused the closure of the famous nightclubs in Casablanca and Marrakech,” the daily added.
The names of the establishments have not been disclosed.
“No less than 2,000 police were mobilized and undertook an extensive search operation in Casablanca,” the same source revealed.
In addition, hundreds of traffic police were deployed to the Corniche in Aïn Diab and in the Maârif district, among other places of great affluence.
Moroccan security services will be in charge of monitor nightclubs across the country, the same source said. A large number of trendy nightclubs with high-attendance rates will be guarded by local authorities, especially those located in Casablanca.
Exceptional security measures were taken three weeks prior to the New Year festivities. Officials were in uniform and undercover, guarding sensitive areas across the territory.
On Wednesday, Moroccan daily Assabah revealed that “100,000 armed officers would be deployed throughout the kingdom to secure the New Year festivities.”
In Casablanca, 25,000 armed officials from the military, national security, the Royal Gendarmerie and the Auxiliary forces, were deployed to protect Morocco’s economic capital.
Explosive experts, canine units and NBC unit personnel were also part of the large mobilization to thwart potential terrorist threats.
Members of ISIS threatened to attack several countries during the New Year festivities, naming their terrorist plan, “the conquest of the New Year!”
The Central Bureau of Judiciary Investigations (BCIJ), a branch of the DGST, arrested nine “dangerous” criminals on December 11, who were active in several Moroccan cities and villages.
The nine-member terrorist cell was allegedly planning to carry out similar attacks to those in Paris on November 13.
