Investigations conducted by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), under the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), as part of the ongoing inquiry following the dismantling of a terrorist cell affiliated with Daesh in the Sahel region, have led to the collection of field intelligence reinforced by technical data. This information indicated the existence of a mountainous area suspected of being used as a logistical support base for storing weapons and ammunition intended for members of this cell to carry out their terrorist plans. The discoveries made in this area confirm the extreme danger posed by this cell.
According to a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and DGST, technical expertise and satellite localization, using coordinates and geographical data gathered during the investigation, identified the suspect area in the province of Errachidia. Specifically, it was located on the eastern bank of the Oued Guir, at a site known as "Tel Mzil," within the commune and caïdat of "Oued N’aam," near Boudenib, along the Kingdom’s eastern border.
On-site inspections and geographical reconnaissance revealed that the suspect area lies at the base of a steep rocky formation, characterized by difficult and undeveloped access routes. This required the deployment of logistical resources to facilitate access to the intervention site for conducting searches and preliminary investigations.
As part of the security protocol applied to terrorist threats, particularly in areas likely to contain weapons and explosives, the BCIJ mobilized specialized canine units for explosive detection, metal detection equipment, a system for analyzing suspicious substances, as well as advanced robotic technology for identifying explosive devices, along with an X-ray scanner.
The search and sweeping operations, which lasted approximately three hours, uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition buried in an isolated spot at the foot of the rocky formation. The cache was wrapped in plastic bags and newspapers published in Mali, including weekly editions dated January 27, 2025.
The arsenal seized during this operation included two Kalashnikov assault rifles with two magazines, two shotguns, ten pistols of various types, and a large quantity of cartridges and ammunition of different calibers.
The confiscated weapons and ammunition were sealed and inventoried in detail before being transferred to the National Forensic Police Laboratory for the necessary ballistic and technical analyses.
Current investigations suggest that these weapons and equipment were supplied and shipped by a senior Daesh official in the Sahel region, responsible for the organization’s external relations, through illegal smuggling networks and channels.
After ensuring the smuggling and concealment of the weapons and ammunition in this logistical support base, the Daesh official transmitted the site’s coordinates to the “coordinators” of the terrorist cell dismantled last Wednesday, with the intention of retrieving and using them for their planned terrorist operations.
The statement further specifies that, in parallel with these field operations, investigations and inquiries conducted by the BCIJ are continuing under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office, aiming to uncover all ramifications of this terrorist cell and identify its connections with Daesh’s African branch in the Sahel region.
