LONDON, April 29 (UPI) -- The British foreign secretary called that bombing of a restaurant in Morocco, suspected to be an act of terrorism, "utterly reprehensible."
The cafe bombing Thursday in Marrakesh killed 16 people, mostly tourists, and injured 23 others. Moroccan officials said the attacks bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida and a YouTube video surfaced last week depicting suspected al-Qaida members threatening the country.
"Initial reports that this may have been a result of terrorism are deeply worrying," said British Foreign Secretary William Hague in a statement. "All acts of terrorism are utterly reprehensible."
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African branch of the terrorist network, is active in the region.
Morocco has experienced growing social unrest though the country's leadership said they were pursuing reforms.
Authorities in January claimed they arrested 27 people who were part of an al-Qaida cell plotting a terrorist attack in the country.
Mohamed Darif, a Moroccan analyst specializing in militant Islam, told London's pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat shortly after the arrests that al-Qaida might be seeking revenge against the Moroccan monarchy for supporting U.S. efforts against Islamic terrorist groups.
