Rabat – The police have arrested six additional lindividuals suspected of having relations with a terrorist cell dismantled last week, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior announced Monday.
On October 14, 17, and 23, Moroccan police arrested six suspects in the cities of Rabat and Beni Mellal, as well as a village near the city of El Jadida.
The suspectswere involved in the “plots” hatched by the dismantled terrorist network, which aimed at “undermining the kingdom’s stability,” said the ministry.
The dismantled suspected terrorist ring planned to carry outattacks across Morocco using chemical substances to make bombs, according to previous statements.
During operations conducted by Morocco’s anti-terror bureau (BCIJ) last week, 11 suspects were arrested, and weapons, bomb-making chemicals, and money were recovered in the cities of Fez, Casablanca, Khouribga, Zaouiat Cheikh, Sidi Bennour, Demnate, and Sidi Harazem.
Among the seized material were guns, live ammunition, butane gas bottles, two straps for making suicide bombs, fire extinguishers, fertilizers, liquids, a thermometer, a metal tube used for making explosives, and bomb-making instructional documents.
The ministry explained that the fire extinguishers could have been used as containers to make bombs when filled with explosive substances and nails and small iron pieces, to create a large blast with the biggest potential damage to property and largest possible number of casualties.
The leader of the group, who was arrested in a safe house along with one of his partners, had experience in bomb-making, said the ministry. The network had direct contact with an ISIS field commander.
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