Disruption of a Terror Cell Planning Bombings in Tetouan and Chefchaouen
In the early hours of Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, operating under the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, dismantled a terror cell linked to the so-called Islamic State. This cell consisted of four individuals aged between 20 and 27, who were active in the areas between the cities of Tetouan and Chefchaouen.
This operation falls within the proactive approach to countering the terrorist threats aimed at the security and stability of the kingdom.
A statement issued by the bureau clarified that the searches conducted at the suspects’ homes resulted in the seizure of various pieces of material evidence, including a manuscript containing the "bay’ah" text through which the cell members pledged allegiance to the alleged Emir of ISIS, a recording documenting this pledge, a flag symbolizing the organization, and a black outfit (pants and jacket) bearing extremist phrases.
The security services also confiscated models of weapons, including a rifle equipped with a scope and two pistols, in addition to electronic equipment that will undergo thorough digital analysis to determine its nature and potential uses.
Field investigations revealed that the cell members had already begun preparations to carry out terrorist operations aligned with ISIS’s destructive agenda. They conducted field experiments in a remote mountainous area on the outskirts of Tetouan to manufacture explosive devices, indicating the serious nature of the project they intended to execute.
The investigations also showed that the suspects documented their pledge to the current Emir of ISIS through a manuscript and a video, in an attempt to obtain official approval from the group’s leadership to carry out their terrorist plans within Morocco.
The four detainees have been placed under judicial custody as part of the investigation being supervised by the public prosecutor’s office responsible for terrorism-related cases, aimed at deepening the inquiries and uncovering all potential plots and external connections of this cell.
