Al Qaeda Denies Link to Morocco Bombing

BBC reports:

Al-Qaeda in North Africa has denied that it was involved in an explosion at a cafe in Marrakesh last month in which 17 people died.

In a statement issued by a Mauritanian news agency, the regional offshoot said it had nothing to do with the attack.

Police in Morocco have arrested three over the blast and have said that the chief suspect was loyal to al-Qaeda.

Hundreds of people gathered at the site of the blast on Saturday to demonstrate against terror.

"We deny any link to this explosion and declare we are in no way involved in this operation," read Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's statement, carried by Nouakchott News Agency.

The statement was published in Arabic and dated Friday 6 May.