Morocco Arrests Three Suspected Salafist Jihadists in Anti-Terror Operation

The arrested persons are three young Moroccans, aged 19 to 32, residing in the El Ghamariyyine district, the Oulad Malek douar and the Leouabed douar, reports Al Akhbar. Under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office, these three suspected terrorists were taken to the provincial directorate of the national security of Sidi Slimane. An in-depth investigation is underway.

Statistics indicate that the number of young people from the province of Sidi Slimane who have joined the ranks of the Salafiya Jihadiya has increased in recent years. These young people have voluntarily joined terrorist groups active in Iraq, Syria, Libya, or even the Sahel. In 2008, the number of suspected terrorist recruitments in the city of Sidi Slimane was 75. In early 2019, this number reached 485 fighters.

Their recruiters are Moroccans residing in the northern cities of the kingdom or Moroccans residing abroad (MREs), especially in Spain and Belgium. Many of these jihadists have died in the countries where they went. Some are currently blocked in Libya. About fifty terrorists are currently on trial in Morocco. These are originally from the Gharb region. From Sidi Slimane, seven terrorists members of the cell dismantled in December 2019 were sentenced to prison terms.