Afran : Moroccan court jails 14 militant Islamists: report
on 2010/1/9 11:10:56
Afran

20100108

RABAT (Reuters) - Fourteen members of an Islamist radical group which seeks to spread jihad, or holy war, to Spain's Andalusia region were jailed on Thursday for plotting attacks against Moroccan targets, state news agency MAP said.

A criminal court in Sale, the twin city of Rabat, sentenced Rachid Zerbani, the leader of the Fath al Andalus (Andalusia Conquest) group to 15 years in prison, the agency added, quoting a court statement.

The 13 other members received sentences of four to 10 years for charges that included stockpiling explosives for attacks on state targets, collecting money to buy weapons and undermining state security and public order.

Court officials were not immediately available to confirm the report.

MAP said the cell had links with other radical Islamists in neighbouring Algeria and Mauritania as well as in France, Spain and countries in the Middle East.

The cell had planned to blow up unspecified tourism landmarks in the southern Atlantic city of Agadir and a Moroccan military barracks in Laayoune, the main city in Western Sahara, MAP added.

Morocco has been on alert against radical Islamists since 2003 when suicide bombings killed 45 people in Casablanca.

Police in the north African country say they have broken more than 60 cells of Islamist extremists since then, with over 2,000 jailed following trials.

Some of the other busted cells have names linked to Andalusia like Jound al Andalus (Soldiers of Andalusia) or Taliaa al Andalus (Advanced Guards of Andalusia).

Andalusia is a rallying cause for Islamist extremists in Morocco and elsewhere who want to return the territory to Muslim rule.

Previous article - Next article Printer Friendly Page Send this Story to a Friend Create a PDF from the article


Other articles
2023/7/22 16:36:35 - Uncertainty looms as negotiations on the US-Kenya trade agreement proceeds without a timetable
2023/7/22 14:48:23 - 40 More Countries Want to Join BRICS, Says South Africa
2023/7/18 14:25:04 - South Africa’s Putin problem just got a lot more messy
2023/7/18 14:17:58 - Too Much Noise Over Russia’s Influence In Africa – OpEd
2023/7/18 12:15:08 - Lagos now most expensive state in Nigeria
2023/7/18 11:43:40 - Nigeria Customs Intercepts Arms, Ammunition From US
2023/7/17 17:07:56 - Minister Eli Cohen: Nairobi visit has regional and strategic importance
2023/7/17 17:01:56 - Ruto Outlines Roadmap for Africa to Rival First World Countries
2023/7/17 16:47:30 - African heads of state arrive in Kenya for key meeting
2023/7/12 16:51:54 - Kenya, Iran sign five MoUs as Ruto rolls out red carpet for Raisi
2023/7/12 16:46:35 - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Gupta Travels to Kenya and Rwanda
2023/7/2 15:57:52 - We Will Protect Water Catchments
2023/7/2 15:53:49 - Kenya records slight improvement in global peace ranking
2023/7/2 14:33:37 - South Sudan, South Africa forge joint efforts for peace in Sudan
2023/7/2 13:08:02 - Tinubu Ready To Assume Leadership Role In Africa
2023/7/2 11:50:34 - CDP ranks Nigeria, others low in zero-emission race
2023/6/19 16:30:00 - South Africa's Ramaphosa tells Putin Ukraine war must end
2023/6/17 16:30:20 - World Bank approves Sh45bn for Kenya Urban Programme
2023/6/17 16:25:47 - Sudan's military govt rejects Kenyan President Ruto as chief peace negotiatorThe Sudanese military government of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has rejected Kenyan President William Ruto's leadership of the "Troika on Sudan."
2023/6/17 16:21:15 - Kenya Sells Record 2.2m Tonnes of Carbon Credits to Saudi Firms

The comments are owned by the author. We aren't responsible for their content.