1,631 Moroccans fighting with terror groups: Ministry

By Khaled Majdoub

RABAT (AA) – A total of 1,631 Moroccans are fighting with terrorist groups, Morocco's interior ministry said Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry said some 864 Moroccan nationals have joined the Daesh terrorist group, which controls swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq.

According to the ministry, 558 Moroccans had died in both Syria and Iraq.

The ministry noted that 284 women and 333 children had travelled to war zones, particularly Syria and Iraq.

Moroccan security agencies have managed to dismantle 16 terrorist cells in 2016, the statement said, adding that these cells had been planning to recruit young Moroccans to travel to war zones overseas.