Moroccan authorities say they have dismantled two terrorist cells with al-Qaida links and detained the groups' members.
The Interior Ministry says one cell, called Sahrawi Jihad Front, had four members. In a Friday statement, the ministry said the cell was being led by a so-called "extremist" who formerly lived in Italy.
The ministry says a second, five-member cell had been recruiting volunteers for "jihad" in Iraq. It says the group had been coordinating efforts with al-Qaida networks.
The government also says one of the detainees is a Yemeni national who is wanted in his country for al-Qaida links. A ministry statement does not say when the arrests took place.
Morocco has announced a series of arrests of suspected militants since a 2003 bombing in Casablanca killed 45 people. In April, the country announced the arrests of 24 people with suspected al-Qaida links.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
