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| Africa North |
| Morocco steps up security after cafe blast |
| 2011-04-30 |
| [Al Jazeera] Moroccan authorities have stepped up security following Thursday's kaboom at a cafe in Marrakesh in which at least 16 people were killed, including 11 foreigners. A senior police official said cordons have been erected at the entrances to Morocco's main cities and security forces deployed across the country, "to ensure the internal security of the country". "Preliminary investigation ... suggests that this was a terrorist act caused by an bomb," the official MAP news agency quoted Taieb Cherkaoui, the interior minister, as saying on Friday. Khalid Naciri, a government front man, told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency it was too soon to say who had carried out what he called a terrorist attack. Interpol, the international police agency, condemned the attack and said it would ensure "the Moroccan authorities investigating this terrible attack have the full support of the global law enforcement community." French intelligence and anti-terrorism experts will travel to Marrakesh on Friday to help in the probe, a source said. Police sought to restore calm in the iconic Jamaa el-Fna square, a cultural heritage site frequented by tourists, while Sherlocks worked to determine how it was carried out and who was responsible. Police were at the site searching for clues on Friday morning, keeping back onlookers who showed up to see the dramatic sight. The kaboom ripped off the facade of the Argana cafe, leaving awnings dangling. |
| Posted by:Fred |