Updated

Morocco's government says a terror cell active in several cities has been dismantled, and a convict believed to have spearheaded nationwide fundraising and recruiting is among those arrested.

The Interior Ministry said Thursday it was the fifth terror cell discovered this year in Morocco.

Among those arrested were several "who have trained with terrorist organizations in the handling of various weapons and explosives," the statement said.

Anas el Haloui, who organizes legal defense for detained Moroccan Salafists, said about 50 Moroccans have been arrested after returning from Syria. Morocco, like many other countries, fears that fighters will be radicalized and return with war experience they will use against their homelands.