In a joint and coordinated security operation, Moroccan and Spanish authorities successfully dismantled a Daesh-affiliated terrorist cell operating in the Sahel region. The operation, conducted on the last week of November 2024 by 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, resulted in the arrest of nine individuals. Three were apprehended in Tetouan and Fnideq, while six others were arrested in Madrid, Ibiza, and Sebta.

According to a statement by the BCIJ, searches at the suspects’ residences led to the seizure of bladed weapons and electronic equipment, which will undergo forensic analysis. Preliminary investigations revealed that some of the suspects, previously imprisoned in Spain on terrorism-related charges, were actively promoting Daesh ideology. They reportedly held meetings in Sebta and Tetouan to plan and coordinate terrorist activities, with the ultimate goal of joining Daesh’s branch in the Sahel region.

The suspects arrested in Tetouan and Fnideq are in custody under the supervision of the specialized public prosecutor’s office for terrorism and extremism cases. Authorities are investigating their internal and external connections, as well as their involvement in the cell’s planned terrorist activities.