Casablanca's Hed Soualem rocked by near explosive terrorist plot

The residents of Hed Soualem, a Casablanca suburb, experienced a ravaging intervention on Sunday, after specialized services arrested four people suspected of planning a terrorist act in the Kingdom.

Since the early hours of this morning, the security authorities broke the routine of the residents of the Ouahda neighborhood, who were preparing to shop at the “Sunday market,” as the Central Bureau of Investigation (BCIJ) came down in all its colors to arrest the suspects and seize the materials that would be used in this terrorist act.

A Royal Gendarmerie military plane was flying overhead, snipers on rooftops, and security personnel with various weapons in the alleys surrounding the place, in anticipation of any attempt by the suspects to flee.

The suspects were preparing their terrorist plot in an apartment in the Soualem social housing area, away from the eyes of the residents and even their relatives, but the vigilance of the security forces prevented the completion of the plan and stopped a project to shed blood and destroy property.

According to a statement by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, the suspects went to four drug stores in Hedd el-Soualem on the same day, where they purchased raw chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives, before storing them in the home of one of them and preparing them for experimental operations to make explosive objects.

The same investigations also revealed that two of the arrested brothers made reconnaissance visits to different places and at different times, during which they documented with photos and camera recordings several potential targets for their terrorist plans.

The residents’ astonishment and fear of the terrorist act that was being prepared from the center of their neighborhood turned into reassurance after the arrests, which made them thank the vigilance of the security forces.

Slogans were raised against the arrested suspects as they were taken to a house for inspection, indicating the indignation of the people who gathered in large numbers against this act that does not represent Moroccans.

Angry citizens chanted at the suspects, who until recently had been acting normally, with some women shouting “shame, shame, shame…,” as those present thanked the security forces for their vigilance and proactive operation that stopped the plot in its tracks.

During the raid and search operation carried out by the Basij authorities, white weapons of various sizes, a large number of bottles containing chemical liquids and powders, bags containing a large amount of chemical fertilizers, sulfur and charcoal powder, salts and suspicious materials, in addition to electrical wires, welding equipment and adhesive tapes, suspected of being used to prepare and manufacture explosives, according to a statement by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ).

The four arrested suspects were taken into custody as part of the judicial investigation carried out by authorities under the supervision of the Public Prosecution in charge of terrorism cases, in order to uncover all the possible links of this cell with regional and international terrorist organizations, as well as to identify and arrest all the elements associated with it.