Updated

Morocco's Interior Ministry has announced the arrest of an Algerian citizen suspected of belonging to a group linked to the Islamic State militant organization which was responsible for the beheading of a French hiker.

In September, French hiker Herve Gourdel was kidnapped and then beheaded in Algeria by a group called Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate), which had declared allegiance to Syria- and Iraq-based IS.

The Moroccan statement issued late Sunday said the man had "large quantities of dangerous substances" and information about weapons caches in towns along the Algerian border.

Algerian authorities had already reported killing several members of the group in operations after the kidnapping.

Morocco has disrupted many cells accused of recruiting for IS.