Morocco says arrested man linked to Paris attackers, Islamic State

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moroccan police have arrested a Belgian man of Moroccan descent, saying he is linked to the Islamic State group and had a "direct relationship" to the attackers who killed 130 people in Paris two months ago, the Interior Ministry said Monday, January 18, the Associated Press reports.

The man had traveled to Syria with one of the Paris suicide bombers, where he received military training and built relationships with IS field commanders, "including the mastermind" of the Paris attacks, and others who threatened attacks in France and Belgium, the ministry said in a statement.

The statement identified the suspect only by the initials J.A., and didn't explain his suspected relationship to the Paris attackers.

But Belgian federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt told The Associated Press the suspect's name is Gelel Attar, a dual Belgian-Moroccan national previously convicted in Belgium of involvement with a terrorist group. The letters G and J are represented by the same letter in Arabic script.

Several of the Islamic extremists who targeted a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes on November 13 had Moroccan origins and links to Belgium.

The Moroccan ministry said in a statement that the man was arrested Friday in the town of Mohammedia, near Casablanca, after traveling through Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It said the suspect is under investigation.

At least one of the Paris attackers remains at large.