Morocco Breaks up Terror Cell in Tangier

Defendants who are on trial for the killing of Scandinavian tourists Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland arrive at a criminal court in Sale, Morocco May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
Defendants who are on trial for the killing of Scandinavian tourists Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland arrive at a criminal court in Sale, Morocco May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
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Morocco Breaks up Terror Cell in Tangier

Defendants who are on trial for the killing of Scandinavian tourists Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland arrive at a criminal court in Sale, Morocco May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
Defendants who are on trial for the killing of Scandinavian tourists Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland arrive at a criminal court in Sale, Morocco May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

The Moroccan Central Bureau of Forensic Investigations (BCIJ) has broken up a suspected terrorist cell in the northern city of Tangier.

"A terrorist cell consisting of eight extremists from the city of Tangier, aged between 20 and 31, has been neutralized,” the BCIJ said.

Among the detainees is a man whose brothers have fought alongside ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria, it added.

During the operation, the security forces seized several electronic devices, bladed weapons, a piece of black fabric symbolizing the ISIS flag, military uniform and two underwater firearms.

The detainees are suspected of spreading ISIS propaganda.

According to the same source, this security operation was part of continued efforts to preserve Morocco’s security and stability.

The statement added that the suspects were kept in custody while investigations are ongoing to arrest other accomplices.

A week ago, Morocco was internationally recognized for its effective and successful strategies in combating terrorism and its funding, revealed Dr. Jawhar Nfissi, the head of the Moroccan Financial Intelligence Unit.

Nfissi chaired the delegation representing the kingdom at the MENAFATF 29th Plenary Meeting & Meetings.

The meeting was held in Amman on April 23-25 and was attended by representatives of member states of MENAFATF (21), international observers, representatives of the World Bank and the UN, experts from the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Spain, and experts from the international organizations in money laundering and terrorism financing.



Tom Barrack: There Is One Syria

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Tom Barrack: There Is One Syria

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack described on Saturday the lifting of US sanctions on Syria as a “strategic fresh start” for the war-ravaged nation and said that the US was not intending to pursue “nation-building or federalism.”

The Syrian state news agency, SANA, quoted Barrack as telling the Arab News website, that the Trump administration’s removal of sanctions on May 13 was aimed at offering the Syrian people “a new slice of hope” following over a decade of civil war.

He described the Middle East as a “difficult zip code at an amazingly historic time.”

“President (Trump)’s message is peace and prosperity,” Barrack said, adding that “sanctions gave the people hope. That’s really all that happened at that moment.”

He noted that the US policy shift is intended to give the emerging Syrian regime a chance to rebuild.

The envoy clarified that the original US involvement in Syria was driven by counter-ISIS operations, and not aimed at regime change or humanitarian intervention.

He reaffirmed Washington’s position against a federal model for Syria, saying the country must remain unified with a single army and government.

“There’s not going to be six countries. There’s going to be one Syria,” he said, ruling out the possibility of separate autonomous regions.

Barrack added: “The US is not dictating terms but would not support a separatist outcome: We’re not going to be there forever as the babysitter.”

Last Wednesday, the Syrian government welcomed any path with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that would enhance the unity and territorial integrity of the country, reiterating its unwavering commitment to the principle of “One Syria, One Army, One Government,” and its categorical rejection of any form of partition or federalism.

Barrack confirmed that the US is closely monitoring the announcement that the first group of PKK fighters had destroyed their weapons in northern Iraq.

“This could be the first step towards long-term resolution of the Kurdish issue in Türkiye,” he said, but cautioned that questions remain about the SDF’s ongoing ties to the PKK leadership. “They (the SDF) have to decide: Are they Syrians? Are they Kurds first? That’s their issue.”

The envoy stressed that the current US strategy offers a narrow but real chance at stability.