(MENAFN) Two individuals were killed and several others injured in Leqliaa, near Agadir, after Moroccan security forces opened fire during an attempted raid on a gendarmerie post, according to local authorities.

The Prefecture of Inezgane Ait Melloul said the incident occurred Wednesday when protesters tried to storm the territorial brigade of the Royal Gendarmerie. Armed with bladed weapons and stones, the group reportedly sought to seize ammunition, service firearms, and equipment.

Initial attempts to disperse the protesters with tear gas failed. As reinforcements joined, the group managed to breach the building, seize four motorcycles and a vehicle, and set parts of the facility on fire. Gendarmerie officers, citing an imminent threat, used firearms “in self-defense,” resulting in two deaths and additional injuries.

The unrest, now in its fifth day, began as youth-led demonstrations demanding better public services but has escalated into rioting, vandalism, and attacks on state institutions, according to officials and local reports.

Groups such as ‘GenZ 212’ have coordinated the protests on TikTok, Instagram, and Discord, while Morocco Youth Voices has framed the demonstrations as peaceful assemblies meant to encourage debate on social policy.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, also Agadir’s mayor, rejected claims that spending for the 2030 FIFA World Cup has diverted funds from essential services. He noted increased health spending and new hospital projects but acknowledged ongoing issues at Agadir’s main medical facility.

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