Moroccan police on Wednesday arrested three suspected members of the Islamic State group over the killing of an officer whose charred body was found this month, the authorities said.

The two main suspects were detained following “security operations” in Casablanca and the Sidi Harazem region near the northern city of Fez, said the DGSN security service.

A third man was arrested during another operation in Casablanca, it added in a statement.

According to the initial findings of the investigation, they had recently pledged allegiance to IS and “were determined to take part in a terrorist plan” by killing a police officer, the statement said.

Local media had previously reported the killing of the policeman as a crime involving suspected drug traffickers.

The policeman’s burned and mutilated body was discovered on March 2 in a rural area of the Casablanca region.

According to the DGSN, the three suspects had intended to steal his service weapon to rob a bank.

The three suspects were taken into custody and the investigation was handed over to the law enforcement agency responsible for looking into terror-related cases.

Though Morocco has largely been spared jihadist attacks in recent years, its forces are regularly involved in counter-terrorism raids and have reportedly foiled several attacks.