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The bodies of two Scandinavian women with cuts to their necks were found in a village in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday, the interior ministry said.

The tourists, a Danish woman and another from Norway, were found with "signs of violence" on their necks caused by a cutting device, the ministry said in a statement.

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

The women's bodies were found in an isolated mountainous area 10 kilometres (six miles) from the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range.

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

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