MADRID, NOV 23 /DNA/ – In a new joint and coordinated security operation between Moroccan and Spanish authorities, Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), affiliated with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), and the General Intelligence Directorate of the Spanish National Police successfully dismantled a terrorist Daesh-affiliated cell in the Sahel region. This operation, carried out on Friday, led to the arrest of nine (09) individuals, including three (03) active in Tetouan and Fnideq (Morocco) and six (06) others in Madrid, Ibiza, and Sebta.

A statement by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations indicated that searches conducted at the suspects’ residences resulted in the seizure of bladed weapons and electronic equipment, which will undergo necessary digital forensic analysis.

The statement further revealed that preliminary investigations showed the suspects, some of whom were previously imprisoned in Spain on terrorism-related charges, were promoting Daesh ideology and holding meetings in Sebta and Tetouan as part of planning and coordinating terrorist activities in the name of Daesh, with the intent to eventually join the organization’s branch in the Sahel region south of the Sahara .

The individuals arrested in Tetouan and Fnideq have been placed in custody under the supervision of the specialized public prosecutor’s office for terrorism and extremism cases, to investigate their internal and external connections and to determine their level of involvement in the terrorist projects planned by the members of this cell.

The statement highlighted that this joint operation falls within the framework of the continuous and exceptional security coordination between Moroccan and Spanish security agencies to counter the terrorist threats facing the two nations.