Frenchman held over Morocco blast

Officials say the suspect was held in Tangiers

A Frenchman suspected of involvement in last month's bombings in Casablanca has been arrested, says Morocco's official news agency MAP.

Robert Richard Antoine-Pierre, who also uses the names Lhaj and Abou Abderrahmane, was detained in Tangiers.

The Moroccan authorities had previously announced that he was a suspect and was being sought.

Forty-three people died when suicide bombers unleashed a series of blasts across Casablanca. Twelve bombers were among the dead.

Mr Antoine-Pierre is the first foreigner named by Moroccan authorities as a suspect in the inquiry.

Dozens died in the series of blasts

Moroccan news reports said he had lived in Tangiers for some years, and was a convert to Islam.

Officials said he lived in Tangiers with his Moroccan wife.

At least 30 men have been charged over the attacks.

The alleged mastermind, Abdelhaq Mousabbat, died in police custody last week, two days after being arrested. Police said he had died from chronic heart and liver disease.

The bombers' targets in the 16 May attacks included a Spanish restaurant, a five-star hotel, a Jewish community centre and the Belgian consulate.

All the suicide bombers were Moroccans.

Moroccan officials have linked the attacks to "international terrorism", but have not officially commented on Western reports of involvement by the militant network al-Qaeda.