Spanish undercover police officers. EFE
Rabat, July 20 (IANS) Two suspects with links to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were arrested in a joint operation carried out by Moroccan and Spanish security services, Morocco’s intelligence bureau said in a statement. The two suspects were respectively arrested in the city of Nador in northern Morocco and the Spanish city of Lleida, according to the statement released by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation on Wednesday.
Intelligence revealed that the two suspects were linked to the IS terrorist group in Syria and were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Europe, the statement said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
Investigations showed that the two suspects were in contact with an irregular immigration network to obtain fake identity documents for their plans, it added.
A police spokesperson in Madrid confirmed the arrest of one person.
“It’s a joint operation with Morocco which is ongoing. We have arrested one person on terrorism charges in Lleida,” the spokesperson said.
“The two suspects were in touch with elements of Daesh (the Arab acronym for IS) in Syria, preparing to carry out terrorist operations in Europe,” the same source said.
Morocco’s DGST said investigators found that the two suspects had contacted an illegal immigration network to get false identity documentation.
In January, security services in Morocco said authorities there had broken up a jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State group and arrested its three members in a joint operation with Spain. A Spanish police source confirmed the Moroccan statement.
The North African country has been largely spared acts of violence by jihadist groups, but its security services often report crackdowns and foiled attack plans.
