Casablanca suicide bombers target US consulate, cultural centre

15/04/2007

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up on Saturday morning (April 14th) in Casablanca, one outside the headquarters of the US Consulate General and the other outside the American Cultural Centre. The public were instrumental in helping to bring about the capture of a third suicide bomber.

By Hassan Benmehdi and Mawassi Lahcen for Magharebia in Casablanca – 15/04/2007

[Benmehdi and Lahcen] The bombers failed to cause any damage

Three suicide bombers laden with explosives attacked the US Consulate General and the nearby American Cultural Centre in Casablanca on Saturday (April 14th). Two bombers blew themselves up but failed to cause any casualties or damage, while the third was arrested a few hours after fleeing the scene. The public were instrumental in helping to bring about his capture.

Ilham Khalifi was at a nearby cafe when the first blast occurred at 9:15am: "In shock, all the customers ran outside and we could see the remains of the first bomber who had blown himself up just a few feet away from the main entrance to the consulate… that was when we saw two other bombers running away towards the American Cultural Centre, which is only a few yards away from the consulate."

Another eye-witness, Abdelhak Najib, confirmed what Khalifi said, adding that "the second explosion came just a few seconds afterward."

The second blast occurred close to the American Cultural Center. The security guard at the centre told Magharebia he had seen the second bomber pass close by the entrance door used by students. "He even looked in my direction before going to blow himself up a few metres further away, just as a police car was about to get involved."

[Benmehdi and Lahcen] Police cordon off the site of the explosions

Young people from the district who were in the garden saw the third bomber run for cover, towards a block of flats under construction. Moktamil Mohamed Amine volunteered to go and search the building for him. Together with his dog, the young man was able to catch the would-be bomber and hand him over to the police, to the applause of the crowd which had gathered. Forensics officers later combed the site of the arrest and managed to recover the explosive belt he had abandoned.

The initial conclusions of the forensics officers were that the two suicide bombers who died were brothers named Mohamed and Omar Maha. Their sister and other brother were arrested the same day in connection with the investigation. The two bombers were not on the list of terrorists wanted by the Moroccan police.

While these events were unfolding on the Boulevard Moulay Youssef in the centre of the city, a major search operation by the security services was underway in Hay Sidi Moumen, an outlying district of the city known to be a haven for terrorists.

According to Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), this operation led to the arrest of the leader of the gang behind the explosions of March 11th in an Internet cafe and April 10th in Hay El-Farah, Casablanca. MAP also stated that information obtained upon capture of this man, whose identity has still not been revealed, led to the arrest of his accomplice and the discovery of secret locations where the terrorists had manufactured the explosives. It also enabled officers to identify the other members of the group, who are actively being sought.