MARRAKESH, Morocco - An apparent terrorist attack shook Marrakech, Morocco on Thursday, killing more than a dozen and injuring 20 more. Eleven of the dead are believed to be foreigners, possibly tourists.The probability it was a terrorist attack is high given that the Argana cafe is a tourist magnet in the picturesque desert city.
The restaurant's terrace offers spectacular views of Djemaa el Fna Square in the city's bazaar quarter. The historical buildings and surrounding grounds are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. - The blast, which occurred around lunchtime in the central Djemaa el Fna Square, appeared to be a deliberate attack on a popular destination in the tourist-filled city, according to a senior Moroccan intelligence official.
Police and security officials were investigating the nature and cause of the blast. The Moroccan government characterized it as a criminal act but stopped short of describing it as terrorism.- The Figaro, the French daily, reported that two French citizens and an Englishman were among the dead in the cafe, the Argana. Djemaa el Fna is the main square in Marrakesh and has been called the cultural crossroads for all of Morocco.
“There was a huge bang,” one tourist in the square, Andy Birnie of London, told The Associated Press. “There was debris raining down from the sky. Hundreds of people were running in panic, some towards the cafe, some away from the square. The whole front of the cafe is blown away.”
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