Moroccan suspects in killing of Scandinavian women were acting alone, official says

[webfact]

Moroccan suspects in killing of Scandinavian women were acting alone, official says

By Ahmed Eljechtimi

 

FILE PHOTO: Louisa Vesterager Jespersen wears a Bovec Sports Center t-shirt in this undated photo obtained from social media on December 20, 2018. Bovec Sports Center Archive/via REUTERS

 

RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan authorities believe four suspects in the killing of two Scandinavian women in the Atlas Mountains were acting on their own initiative, even though they had just pledged allegiance to Islamic State, an official said on Sunday.

 

Boubker Sabik, spokesman for the Moroccan security and domestic intelligence services, also said the arrest of nine more people in the case had foiled a terror plot.

 

Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway were found dead early on Monday near the village of Imlil on a route to Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak and a popular hiking and trekking destination.

 

Sabik said on the state 2M TV channel that the four suspects, aged between 25 and 33 years, had headed to the Imlil area intent on committing a crime but without selecting their target in advance.

 

They had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video made on the Friday before the bodies were found, but without agreeing this in advance with any foreign entity.

 

Sabik described the four as "lone wolves". "The crime was not coordinated with Islamic State," he said. "Lone wolves do not need permission from their leader," he added, without explaining how the authorities had come to their conclusions.

 

One of them was arrested in 2013 as part of a crackdown on individuals who wanted to join extremists abroad, he said, adding that this suspect had radicalised the other three.

 

However, he dismissed reports that one was a returning foreign fighter from the Middle East. All four, who originated from the outskirts of Marrakech, had only informal jobs and had a low level of education, he added.

 

Referring to the nine other suspects detained on Friday in various Moroccan cities, he said their arrests "spared Morocco a terrorist plot".

 

Electronic devices, an unauthorised hunting rifles, knives and materials that could be used for bomb-making were found in the course of those raids.

 

Sabik gave no details of this suspected plot but said Morocco is stepping up efforts to counter security threats posed by the return of Islamic State fighters from Syria and Iraq.

 

So far 242 out of 1,669 Moroccans who joined the militant group had been arrested, he said. Some fighters were using false passports and trying to hide among refugees heading for Europe as the jihadists suffer setbacks in the Middle East.

 

Authorities were still trying to authenticate a video that has been shared on social media purporting to show the beheading of one of the victims. "The video has no background and the clothes of the victim are not identical to those in reality," he said.

 

Compared with other countries in North Africa, Morocco has been largely insulated from militant attacks. The most recent took place in April 2011, when 17 people were killed in the bombing of a restaurant in Marrakech. In 2017 and 2018, Morocco dismantled 20 militant cells planning attacks in the country.

 

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; editing by David Stamp)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-24

[Nice Boyd]

Scum...

[IAMHERE]

Well sure; acting alone. That means don't you worry, your head is safe. It is an opinion, just as likely any lonely jerk is gonna figure his life is luxury or everafter  is between your head and the ground. I ain't going up that mountain, probably not even into the bazaar.

[Ulic]

Hang them high and quickly if you want to send the right message to any ISIS sympathizers and tourists. Morrco may not be 100% safe for tourists, but no country is. So send a clear and unambiguous message.

This has to be a red line for Morrican authorities. Look at Egypt, almost zero tourism and it is unlikely to return.

[evadgib]

Danes & Norwegians are among the nicest people you could ever meet. This pair were the softest of soft targets & i'd like to see more that just words from their (and our!) govts in return.

New Years Eve in Copenhagen and Oslo will be very interesting next week if the uninvited guests try the 'Benny Hill' routine as in previous years and expect their hosts to simply roll over...

 

[jvs]

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

Hang them high and quickly if you want to send the right message to any ISIS sympathizers and tourists. Morrco may not be 100% safe for tourists, but no country is. So send a clear and unambiguous message.

This has to be a red line for Morrican authorities. Look at Egypt, almost zero tourism and it is unlikely to return.

These guys want to be killed for their so called religion of peace,they will call themselves marders.

If they die for allah they will receive 72 virgins they wrongfully believe.

Misguided uneducated people killing for  a god who does not exist.

 

 

[Opl]

1 hour ago, Don Chance said:

It's about feminism. Women reject men, they deny their own genetic and Darwin takes over.

If they had a BF they would in hotel in bed or he would be protecting them. They are not getting married, no having children, not even a BF.

No . Abject murders committed by subhumans . Period. 

[sirineou]

On 12/24/2018 at 4:15 AM, jvs said:

These guys want to be killed for their so called religion of peace,they will call themselves marders.

If they die for allah they will receive 72 virgins they wrongfully believe.

Misguided uneducated people killing for  a god who does not exist.

 

 

 I don't know about these people, obviously good people don't kill defenseless women. Killing them is too good for them, let them rut in jail, with pork the only food. 

   But I know this:    “With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion.” 
― Steven Weinberg 

[Keira1]

2 hours ago, Don Chance said:

It's about feminism. Women reject men, they deny their own genetic and Darwin takes over.

If they had a BF they would in hotel in bed or he would be protecting them. They are not getting married, no having children, not even a BF.

Ah yes, lets go back to the middle ages. Ah wait, no, probably women had to much power already then, for the quoted poster.

It's not about feminism or not, it's about the basic safety of man or woman. 

[balo]

On 12/24/2018 at 6:30 AM, webfact said:

"The video has no background and the clothes of the victim are not identical to those in reality," he said.

This is a lie!  It has already been confirmed by Danish and Norwegian investigators that the video is as real as it gets . The girls heads can also be clearly seen .

Why talk about clothes and make it sound like it was a fake video ?   To avoid discrediting Islam ?