The bodies of two Scandinavian women with neck injuries "caused by a cutting device" have been found in the High Atlas mountains in Morocco.

A Danish woman and another from Norway were found in an isolated mountainous area six miles (10kms) from the village of Imlil, the Moroccan interior ministry said.

According to Morocco World News, they had knife wounds.

A man, who asked to not to be named, told the new website that the pair were tourists who were "allegedly found decapitated".

He added the women were travelling without a guide and were camping "somewhere near the Club Alpin Francais refuge at the base of Mount Toubkal".


Morocco's interior ministry said in a statement that their bodies were found with "signs of violence on their necks" that had been "caused by a cutting device".

It said an investigation had been launched into the "criminal act" without providing more details.

Imlil is a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa.

Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco's economy and its second-largest employer after agriculture.