Rabat – Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) has arrested a 21-year-old female student suspected of planning a major terrorist attack, the bureau announced on Friday.
The suspect, who was pursuing her studies at a technical institute in Rabat, was taken into custody following precise intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST). She is believed to be affiliated with ISIS and was allegedly preparing an attack that posed a serious threat to public safety. Her primary target, authorities said, was a religious site in Rabat.
According to the BCIJ, the arrest was the result of close operational coordination between Moroccan intelligence services and their French counterparts. The joint effort enabled authorities to identify the suspect, monitor her extremist activities, and intervene before her plans could be carried out.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the young woman had already begun acquiring skills in making bomb and toxic substances, and had secured materials believed to be intended for use in an imminent terror operation.
A search of her residence uncovered flammable substances, extremist writings, and books promoting radical ideologies.
The suspect is currently in police custody under anti-terrorism legal procedures. Investigators are working to determine how she was recruited and whether she has links to other terrorist groups or individuals.
This arrest is part of the later efforts Morocco continues to make to focus on preemptive security operations amid persistent global and regional terror threats. It also affirms the strong counterterrorism partnership between Morocco and France, particularly in the area of intelligence sharing and joint investigations.
On Tuesday, Morocco’s Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), Abdellatif Hammouchi, signed a joint action plan with his French counterpart Louis Laugier in Rabat.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between Morocco’s security services and France’s National Police in combating transnational organized crime.
