MOROCCO’S foreign ministry said early yesterday that the country “regrets” the “completely unjustified” decision of neighboring Algeria to break off diplomatic relations.

Algeria formally announced the decision Tuesday, citing a series of alleged hostile acts.

The move was “expected ... in view of the logic of escalation observed in recent weeks,” Morocco’s foreign ministry said in a statement released overnight.

“Morocco categorically rejects the fallacious, even absurd, pretexts underlying it,” it said.

The move culminates a period of growing tension between the North African countries, which are mired in a decades-long feud, with their borders closed to each other.

The Algerian foreign minister notably denounced “massive and systematic acts of espionage” by Morocco, a reference to allegations that the kingdom’s security services used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware against its officials and citizens. Morocco adamantly denies such claims.

(SD-Agencies)