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Morocco Arrests Terror Cell Led by Former Fighter in Syria

File photo: Moroccan security forces. (AFP / Abdelhak Senna)
File photo: Moroccan security forces. (AFP / Abdelhak Senna)
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Morocco Arrests Terror Cell Led by Former Fighter in Syria

File photo: Moroccan security forces. (AFP / Abdelhak Senna)
File photo: Moroccan security forces. (AFP / Abdelhak Senna)

Moroccan security forces have arrested a four-member terrorist cell in the country's northeastern city of Taza, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the Interior Ministry.

"According to preliminary information, the leader of the terrorist cell, who invited and recruited other members of the network, was trying to use combat experience he gained in Iraq and Syria to plot and carry out terrorist attacks against vital institutions," the Ministry said in its statement.

The suspects – whose ages range between between 33 and 38 - were remanded in custody as part of the investigation conducted under the supervision of the competent prosecutor.

The Moroccan authorities didn’t determine to which group - ISIS, al-Nusra Front or others – the former militant belonged.

In a related matter, the administration of Ain Sebaa prison reported that inmates arrested in line with the anti-terror law, enjoy all the rights guaranteed by the law. It said the prisoners are making unfounded claims to pressure the administration into overlooking their illegal behavior.

The administration affirmed in its statement that the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) has taken a decision on banning inmates in all prisons from bringing in their food baskets to alleviate the burden on their families and to stop the smuggling of contraband.

Regarding the claim on limiting the duration of phone calls that the prisoners are allowed to make, in addition to imposing a tight supervision and high fees, the statement affirmed that the DGAPR does not interfere in the rates set by the relevant company.

As for searching the visitors of certain inmates, a source stressed that the process includes all visitors in a manner that preserves their dignity.

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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday, including fishermen who have long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn.
During the last two months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore, upending their lives and the industry.
While less important than destruction and displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce — or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or fattoush salads.
The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is helping fuel hope for a brighter future.
On Friday, a few boats went out close to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted white, blue or red.
Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold.
He hasn't dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept. 23. “They were days of fear and horror,” he said. "They were the most difficult days of our lives.”
A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday that the Lebanese army told them that if they headed out it would be at their own risk .
Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish, who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet.
“Today is the first time that we sail,” Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the prime season in October and November.
“We lost it,” he said.
The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the warning is still in effect.
Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in this city.
In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing rod.
“It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area,” he said, pointing to the white sands. “Fishing is everything for me,” added Hammoud, who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was not part of the siege.
In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon.
“All I wish is that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days,” he said.