The Moroccan authorities arrested 4 French "Islamic extremists" suspected of having links with terrorist organizations in some hotbeds of tension on Thursday in the city of Marrakesh and Laayoune, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said in a statement.

"Acting on the basis of information provided by intelligence services, the national brigade of the judicial police neutralized Thursday four French Islamists, two of them of Poland and Rwanda origins, established in the city of Laayoune (south) and Marrakech (center)", the statement said.

The ministry added that one of the suspects has engaged in suspicious travel to Egypt and Yemen, and was known for his extremist rhetoric, while another has attracted attention for his suspicious activities through the collection of operational information in public places, the statement added.

The suspects will be presented to court at the end of the investigation process which will be carried out under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor, the statement concluded.