Security Forces Bust Terrorist Cell Planning Attacks in Morocco

Members of the Moroccan special forces stand guard inside the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation building. (AFP)
Members of the Moroccan special forces stand guard inside the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation building. (AFP)
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Security Forces Bust Terrorist Cell Planning Attacks in Morocco

Members of the Moroccan special forces stand guard inside the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation building. (AFP)
Members of the Moroccan special forces stand guard inside the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation building. (AFP)

Security agencies in Morocco busted on Monday an ISIS-affiliated terrorist cell in the northern city of Tangier.

After receiving information about terrorist activity, security forces raided four positions in the city, arresting the primary suspect and three members of the cell.

They confiscated a number of weapons and electronic equipment.

Investigations with the suspects revealed that they sought to join ISIS training camps in the Sahel region, but failed, prompting them to turn to plotting dangerous terrorist attacks in Morocco.

Investigators also discovered a recording of one of the members pledging his allegiance to the current alleged leader of ISIS.

The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation said the arrest underscores that terrorism is still a threat in the kingdom, warning that extremists were still plotting operations in the country.

Investigations will continue with the detainees.



US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)

American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group.

Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead.

He told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Bashar al-Assad. He added that US President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive.

Zakka said Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating.

Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip.

Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.