Moroccan newspapers on Tuesday provided more details on Sunday's suicide bombing attack in a Casablanca internet café. According to the reports, the bomber Abdelfattah Raydi, 23, blew up a belt of explosives he was carrying, killing himself and wounding four people after a scuffle with the owner of the Web café.
According to Annass daily, five young men recruited by a man in the area of Hay Mohammedi were ready to carry out suicide bombings in Casablanca. Raydi was one of them.
Assabah newspaper reported that the blast was accidental. The real targets were Casablanca's police and paramilitary headquarters, and restaurants and hotels. AlAlam newspaper added that the bombers were members of al Qaeda.
According to Reuters, Youssef Khoudri, one of the wounded, attempted to flee the scene of the explosion. He was arrested four kilometers away from the scene and was found wearing a belt of explosives.
Security officials questioned Khoudri at his hospital bed; however, he was too badly hurt to articulate answers. The blast brought back memories of the 13 suicide bombers who carried out the 2003 attacks in Casablanca that killed 32 people.
Moroccans fear that violence from Algeria will gravitate into their country.
According to news from Morocco, Mokhtar Bekkali Kacemi, the governor of the Casablanca region, said the blast was accidental and the bombers were probably getting ready to commit a "criminal" act. He believes that the bombers entered the Internet Cafe to get details online from their chief on where to discharge their bombs. The manager’s son and two clients were injured.
