Agadir Public Prosecutor opens investigation into Lqliâa riots, subsequent deaths

Following the violent clashes that erupted in the town of Lqliâa near Agadir on Oct. 1, the Public Protection Office issued a statement detailing the escalation that led to three deaths, announcing an investigation has been opened.

The public Prosecution in Agadir stated that a group of more than 200 people, many of them minors armed with sticks, knives and stones, attacked a Royal Gendarmerie post on Wednesday night.

According to the communiqué, the unrest began when demonstrators damaged private vehicles, a passenger bus and several storefronts, while blocking roads with trash containers. The group then marched toward the Lqliâa gendarmerie post, which houses an armory containing live ammunition.

Protesters set fire to the office of the deputy commander and the main entrance of the post, causing heavy material damage, including the destruction of surveillance cameras and other equipment. Security forces attempted to disperse the crowd using tear gas, but the attackers escalated their assault, forcing open the garage door and seizing a four-wheel-drive vehicle and five motorcycles, which they later set ablaze in the street.

The gendarmerie said eight of its members were injured, three of them seriously. Families living in the officers’ residential compound nearby also reported being threatened and having their cars damaged during the assault.

Authorities said the attackers appeared organized and intent on seizing weapons from the post. In response to the imminent threat, gendarmes fired warning shots before resorting to the use of live ammunition in accordance with legal protocols. Three people were killed and several others injured.

A judicial investigation has been opened under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.

The prosecutor’s office emphasized that while it remains committed to safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms, it will firmly address any acts of violence or violations of the law.