Morocco holds 52 as ISIS associates

RABAT, Morocco — Morocco’s Interior Ministry said it has arrested 52 people suspected of being part of a cell linked to the Islamic State extremist group.

A ministry statement on Wednesday said the arrests were made July 19 and represented the largest group detained among numerous suspected cells dismantled in recent years.

The statement said the suspects were from throughout the country and were planning attacks on various sites inside and outside Morocco, including music festivals. No further information was provided about the people.

Authorities said they seized weapons, manuals with instructions on making explosives and chemical weapons, books about suicide bombings, and Islamic State flags.

The statement said the investigation established links between the suspects and “jihadists in Tindouf and the Sahel,” a reference to refugee camps in southern Algeria and sub-Saharan Africa.