Algeria says it has dismantled “spy ring” involving Moroccans

Algeria has arrested seven individuals, including four Moroccans, accused of being part of a "spy ring," prosecutors said according to AFP, just days before the presidential election. The arrests occurred in Tlemcen, a city near the Moroccan border, where officials said the group was involved in an espionage network aimed at undermining state security. Prosecutors said a judicial investigation has been launched into charges of spying for another country and, for three of the Moroccans, illegal entry into Algeria. “This network recruited Moroccan and Algerian nationals with the aim of undermining Algerian security and administrative institutions,” prosecutors added.

Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have been high, particularly over the disputed Western Sahara and Morocco's ties with Israel. Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, accusing it of supporting the separatist MAK movement, which Algiers considers a terrorist organization. Morocco has rejected Algeria's accusations, calling the diplomatic break "completely unjustified."