Algeria Arrests 61 Moroccan Nationals Over Suspected Sabotage Plot

Algerian authorities have arrested 61 Moroccan nationals on suspicion of planning acts of sabotage, according to a statement reported by Africanews and Agence France-Presse.

Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security said the suspects were allegedly part of an international Moroccan criminal network. Those arrested reportedly included a former Moroccan army soldier and had entered Algeria through mountain trails from neighbouring Tunisia.

Algerian authorities accused the group of preparing activities that could undermine public security and order. Further details about the alleged plot were not provided in the report.

The arrests come amid longstanding tensions between Algeria and Morocco, particularly over Western Sahara, a disputed territory that Morocco largely controls and considers part of its sovereign territory. Algeria supports the Polisario Front, which advocates self-determination for the territory.

The two North African countries have had their land border closed since 1994, while Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021.

The latest development adds to tensions between the neighbours as disagreements over Western Sahara continue to shape their relations.

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