Rabat – An official source told Morocco World News that the murder of the two Scandinavian tourists was, in fact, a potential terrorist act.
Twenty four hours following the arrest of the first crime suspect, authorities concluded that the killing bore the characteristics of terrorism.
Local police are currently tracking down the three other suspects.
The terrorists filmed the murder of the two tourists. A video circulating on social media shows a man armed with a knife slicing the head of one of the two tourists.
The video sparked outrage among Moroccans. Some internet users who watched the footage on Facebook advised people to not watch it if they received it, due to the graphic content.
Morocco World News could not verify the accuracy of the video.
No terror organization claimed the act yet. Pending further details from law enforcement, photos of three suspects are going viral on social media.
The incident is unprecedented in the region, causing shockwaves among its inhabitants, as well as throughout Morocco.
On Monday, the bodies of two foreign tourists, one Norwegian and the other Danish, with signs of stabbing at the neck, were found in the mountainous and unsupervised area, 10 kilometres away from the Imlil centre, towards the summit of Mount Toubkal.
According to a MWN source, the suspects were camping in the area when the murder took place.
The victims are 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway.
Coordination between Moroccan and Danish authorities
According to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moroccan authorities are now investigating a possible link to terrorism in the case of the murders of the two Scandinavian women.
The arrest of a suspect who has ties to an extremist group and a video circulating on social media which can possibly have a connection to the killings make the likelihood of a terrorist act more plausible, according to the same source.
Stine Delfs, journalist at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation told Morocco World News that the “Danish Intelligence Agency is now analyzing and evaluating the video and the possible link to terrorism.”
“The police have informed the relatives of the victims of this new development in the case,” she added.
Based on information received from Moroccan authorities, the Danish Intelligence Agency says that the killings might have ties to Islamic State terrorist group.
