KUALA LUMPUR : Three local supporters of the Islamic State group were arrested by the Malaysian police for allegedly planning several attacks in Kuala Lumpur ahead of independence day celebrations.
The men, detained in a three-day police operation on August 27-29, had allegedly received instructions from Malaysian IS fighter Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi to attack an entertainment centre, a Hindu temple and a police station in the Malaysian capital on Tuesday on the eve of independence day celebrations.
“All three suspects were planning to leave for Syria to join the Islamic State terrorist group ... after successfully carrying out the attacks,” inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement.
Police said they had seized a grenade and a handgun with 24 bullets from one of the suspects, who works as a lorry driver. The two others worked as a butcher and a drinks seller.
Wanndy is a Malaysian known to be fighting with Islamic State in Syria and is seen as the man responsible for ordering a grenade attack in June on a bar on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, the first successful assault of IS in Malaysia.
Police nabbed nine people believed to have IS links after the attack. Earlier this month, Malaysia revoked the passports of 68 Malaysians who have been identified as leaving the country to join Islamic State.
{{/usCountry}}Police nabbed nine people believed to have IS links after the attack. Earlier this month, Malaysia revoked the passports of 68 Malaysians who have been identified as leaving the country to join Islamic State.
{{/usCountry}}Police intelligence reportedly said in March that 18 Malaysians had been killed while fighting with the group in Syria, and that seven others were killed carrying out suicide attacks for the group.
There have not been any reports of Malaysian IS fighters returning home. Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been on high alert since IS-linked militants carried out an armed attack in the capital of neighbouring Indonesia in January.