FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

Malaysia Busts Islamic State Cell That Was Plotting Attack With Orders From Syria

Malaysian police say they have arrested seven Islamic State members, thwarting terror attacks that were being coordinated from Syria.
Photo by Fazry Ismail

Malaysian police say they have arrested seven alleged members of an Islamic State (IS) cell in a three-day operation, thwarting attacks in the Southeast Asian country that were being coordinated from Syria.

The operation was reportedly launched in four states on January 22, ahead of Monday's International Conference on Deradicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism that Malaysia is hosting.

Police said the suspects had received instructions to carry out attacks in Malaysia by Syrian-based IS members, including Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian militant named as the mastermind of January 14 suicide attacks in Jakarta that killed seven people.

Advertisement

"All of the suspects are members of the same cell, who are responsible for planning terror attacks in strategic locations throughout Malaysia," Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement.

Related: The FBI Has Its Eyes On Malaysia's Embattled Prime Minister

He said the suspects were also given orders by Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, a known Malaysian IS recruiter who had previously been linked to a beheading video in Syria.

The arrests were made following the January 15 capture of a suspected militant who confessed to planning a suicide attack in Kuala Lumpur, according to Khalid.

One of the suspects was allegedly responsible for collecting and channeling funds to Malaysian citizens looking to join up with IS in Syria. The money was also to be used to fund a terrorist operation in Malaysia, Khalid said.

All seven suspects were Malaysian men aged between 26 and 50 years old. Among the items seized in the operation were bullets, books on jihad, IS flags, and propaganda videos.

Follow VICE News on Twitter: @vicenews