Al-Qaeda among Moroccan blast suspects
Al-Qaeda is among the suspects in connection with a bomb attack that killed 16 in Marrakesh, according to the government.
Khalid Naciri, communications minister, said that investigators would pursue all leads including possible links to al-Qaeda which operates a North African offshoot which is active in the region.
"All leads will be investigated, including al-Qaeda," he said.
"The investigation continues to find the perpetrators, but for the moment I am not prepared to point the finger."
Fourteen people, most of them foreigners, died Thursday when a suspected suicide bomb exploded at a crowded tourist cafe in Djemaa el-Fna, the main square of Marrakesh.
A total of 23 others were badly injured, two of whom died overnight, bring the toll to 16 Friday.
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Authorities in France said at lest six of the dead were French.
Al-Qaeda's regional offshoot, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is active in countries in the region, notably carrying out a serious of kidnappings for ransom in recent years.
The Marrakesh attack was the deadliest attack in eight years.
William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said he was "shocked and saddened" by the attack.
“British officials are in contact with the Moroccan authorities to establish the facts and to provide consular support to any British nationals who may have been caught up in the blast."
The explosion went off just before midday and tore the facade off the two-storey Argana café in Jema el Fna square, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the heart of Marrakesh's old town.
Witnesses at the scene described seeing a man enter the café and order an orange juice before "blowing himself up". Another said the bomber entered the café, dropped a suitcase and walked straight out.
Government officials initially suggested the explosion was an accident caused by gas canisters, but later said it was most likely a terrorist attack by a suicide bomber. Medics treating those injured said they found nails in one of the bodies recovered.
Khalid Naciri, the communications minister, compared the attack to one on Casablanca in May 2003 that left 45 people including 12 suicide bombers dead.
"This is a terrorist act, a deliberate criminal act," he said. "Morocco is facing the same threats as in May 2003 and it will deal with them diligently and determinedly."
"According to the information I have, it could have been perpetrated by a suicide bomber," an official in the regional governor's office added.
Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, last week, men claiming to be Moroccan members of al-Qaida's north African wing appeared in a video posted on YouTube threatening to attack Moroccan interests.
Despite the 2003 attack, and the arrest last January of 27 suspected terrorists with ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the country was deemed safe enough for a three-day visit to Rabat and Fez earlier this month by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Foreign Office estimates that more than 300,000 British tourists visit Morocco each year, and many head straight for Marrakesh, which has developed a reputation as a chic location offering boutique hotels, bountiful markets and architecture steeped in history.
Andy Birnie, from north London, who is honeymooning in Marrakesh, said he and his fiancée had just walked into the square when the blast happened but were shielded from it by some stalls.
"It was lunchtime so the square was very busy," he said. "There was a huge bang, and lots of smoke went up, there was debris raining down from the sky.
"Hundreds of people were running in panic, some towards the café, some away from the square. The whole front of the café is blown away."
Colin Kilkelly, one of an estimated 400 Britons who live in Marrakesh who writes an online magazine about local issues, said the square which is a major draw for Morrocans and tourists alike.
"The Argana café is a place where everyone gathers, it's beside a mosque and close to the entrance to the souk," he said. "It's a prime target. "
He added that those living in Marrakesh had previously felt sheltered from the tumultuous events elsewhere in North Africa.
Morocco's King Mohamed VI offered his condolences, while France, the former colonial ruler, condemned the attack as "cruel and cowardly".
(source:.telegraph.co.uk)
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