According to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance said the extremists were arrested during simultaneous operations in several cities based on precise intelligence. Those detained included a former terrorism convict and a minor.

Searches uncovered bladed weapons, military uniforms, chemicals for making explosive devices, and a modified four-wheel-drive vehicle allegedly intended for use in a suicide bombing or ramming attack against sensitive targets.

Authorities said investigations found that the cell had pledged allegiance to Daesh and received direct instructions from its leaders in the Sahel and Sahara.