The murders were described by the Moroccan general prosecutor as a terrorist act, after a video released on the Internet showed several of the suspects swearing allegiance to the Islamic State while decapitating Jespersen.

Jespersen and Ueland were students at the University of South-Eastern Norway, where they studied outdoor recreation and nature guidance to become tour guides.

[7] The pair had arrived in Morocco on 9 December as tourists, with the intention of trekking and "chasing experiences", according to Jespersen's mother.

The village of Imlil is popular with travellers as the main base for summiting Toubkal, which is the highest peak in North Africa.

[6] While Morocco is generally seen as a secure destination for tourists, the last terrorist attack happened in 2011, where 17 people were killed by a bombing at a restaurant in Marrakesh.

Moroccan authorities initially ignored the people who joined ISIS but later realized they could return to commit terrorist offenses in Morocco.

[9] On the morning of 17 December 2018, a pair of French hikers came across the decapitated bodies of the victims, and their tent, near a trail connecting Imlil to Mount Toubkal.

[11] Three additional suspects, Abdessamad Ejjoud, Rachid Afatti, and Younes Ouaziyad, were later apprehended by the police while riding a bus during the morning rush hour in the nearby city of Marrakesh.

Abdessamad Ejjoud is assumed to be the leader of the group, and the four men had shot a video the week before the murders, where they pledged allegiance to ISIS.

The Norwegian Minister of Health, Bent Høie, and the Moroccan Ambassador, Lamia Radi, attended the ceremony.

A public torchlit vigil was held in Ueland's native town of Bryne in support of her family and loved ones.

[26] Two videos, one depicting the murder, and another where the suspects filmed themselves swearing allegiance to ISIS, were published onto social media.