Islamist terror suspected in Morocco murder of 2 Scandinavian women

Islamists are suspected to have carried out the murder of two young Scandinavian women trekking in southern Morocco, one of whom was beheaded.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

20 December, 2018

Scandinavian women murder Morocco -- AFP

The arrest was made in Marrakesh, about 60 kilometres north of Imlil [AFP]

Islamists are suspected to have carried out the murder of two young Scandinavian women trekking in southern Morocco, one of whom was beheaded, a source close to the probe said on Wednesday.

"Radical Islam is not ruled out due to the profile of the suspect arrested and of the three men wanted" after the women's bodies were found Monday in the High Atlas Mountains, the source said, asking not to be named.

The source told AFP that one of the women - 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway - had been beheaded.

Police spokesman Boubker Sabik also said terrorism was suspected and that the three suspects on the run had been "identified and a search for them is under way by all the security services".

One of the three had "a court record linked to terrorist acts", he said.

The interior ministry said initially that the Danish and Norwegian hikers were found with cuts to their necks in an isolated mountainous area 10 kilometres (six miles) from the tourist village of Imlil.

The arrest was made in Marrakesh, about 60 kilometres north of Imlil, the ministry said.