At least one Canadian is reportedly among the victims of a terrorist bomb attack that ripped through a café in a Moroccan city.
A massive bomb in Marrakech's old quarter killed at least 11 foreigners and three Moroccans in the country's deadliest attack in nearly a decade.
At least 23 people were wounded in the attack, which occurred at about noon in Djemma el-Fna square, on the country's top tourism attractions, Moroccan Interior Minister Taib Chergaoui said.
A Canadian, eight French citizens, one British citizen and three Moroccans were treated for injuries, a local hospital said. Others were treated at a military hospital.
One media report suggests a young Montreal couple died in the blast. However, Foreign Affairs has not confirmed the report.
April is the start of the tourism season in Morocco. Many were in the square to watch snake charmers, storytellers, jugglers and local musicians.
"There was a huge bang, and lots of smoke went up. There was debris raining down from the sky," honeymooner Andy Birnie, of London, England, told The Associated Press by telephone. "Hundreds of people were running in panic."
The bomb tore much of the two-story Argana café apart. Panicked pedestrians pulled out bodies and used fire extinguishers to try to douse the flames.
"I believe the injured were mostly tourists, judging by what they were wearing," Alexandre Carvalho of Portugal told AP.
Morocco has largely avoided the political instability that has occurred in the region over the past few months.
However, the country has been struck by several terrorism attacks linked to Islamic extremist groups over the past decade.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that "the United States condemns in the strongest terms today's terrorist attack that killed and injured innocent people at a cafe in Marrakech, Morocco. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims of this cowardly attack and stand with the people of Morocco at this difficult time."
