The members of the two extremist cells recently dismantled near Nador (north) wanted to "carry out jihadist attacks" in Morocco, and had established contacts in the Spanish enclave of Melilla and in Belgium, the Ministry of the Interior affirmed on Thursday.

"The members of the two cells, imbued with takfiri ideology, had forged links with people abroad sharing the same ideas, in occupied Melilla and in Belgium", announced this ministry in a statement.

According to the same source, the goal of these people was "to strengthen their ranks by enrolling a greater number of followers, with the prospect of proclaiming jihad inside Morocco".

According to the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, the leaders of the two networks had also "undertaken to create a private school in the Farkhana region, with a view to instilling takfiri ideas in their children".

The dismantling of the +Al Mouahidoun+ and +Attawhid+ cells, by the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) was announced last Sunday by the Moroccan authorities. Eight people, all Moroccans, have been arrested, according to a security source.

According to the authorities, the members of these two networks had notably carried out a series of thefts in the name of jihad (istihlal) and were in contact with radicals operating in northern Mali.

In January, the Ministry of the Interior had described the "proliferation" of extremist networks as a "source of concern", while announcing the dismantling of a cell "working on the "enrolment and indoctrination of young Moroccans" with the goal of sending them to accomplish "the +jihad+ within terrorist organisations linked to Al-Qaeda".

A few weeks earlier, Morocco had already claimed to have dismantled several recruitment cells for Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in the Rif (north) or even the Fez region (centre).