Rabat, March 24 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), a branch of Morocco's domestic intelligence agency (DGST), has busted a terrorist cell that was plotting terrorist attacks undermining the security and stability of the country, the interior ministry has said in a statement.

This comes in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Bardo Museum in neighbouring Tunisia's capital Tunis which claimed 22 lives.

Part of proactive counter-terrorism efforts, the newly set-up BCIJ arrested the alleged terrorist cell members who were operating in the cities of Agadir, Tangier, Laayoune, Boujaad, Tifelt, Marrakech, Taroudant, Ain Harouda, eastern Laayoune, Moroccan news agency MAP reported citing the statement issued on Sunday.

During the same operation, firearms and a large amount of ammunition were seized in a hide-out in Agadir.

The BCIJ explained that the members of the terrorist cell were plotting to perpetrate attacks against members of the security forces and steal their arms in order to use them later in their criminal plans, the ministry added.

The investigations confirmed the involvement of the members of this cell, who pledged allegiance to the head of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, in recruiting and dispatching young Moroccans to Iraq and Syria using foreign funding, the Ministry said.

The arrested individuals will be brought before justice for further investigation under the supervision of the general prosecutor.