RABAT, Morocco

Moroccan authorities have arrested 15 people for suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group, according to the interior ministry.

In a Friday statement, the ministry said the suspects were detained in a number of cities, including Casablanca, Fez, Tangier, Marrakesh and Agadir. 

According to the statement, the suspects were planning terrorist attacks in the country.

“They were in the process of acquiring materials to make explosives to carry out terrorist attacks against vital sites, entertainment places and public institutions in a number of cities,” it said. 

The ministry said the suspects had tried to produce firearms with a view to killing public and military figures.

It said one of the suspects conducted surveillance and targeted location operations in Casablanca with the intention of making a video claiming responsibility for a Daesh attack. 

According to the Moroccan intelligence service, some 199 cells were dismantled in 2016, the vast majority of which were linked to Daesh terrorist group. 

Reporting by Mohamed al-Taheri:Writing by Mahmoud Barakat