Malaysia foils Islamic State terror plot to attack places of worship

From Channel News Asia (Sep14): Malaysia foils Islamic State terror plot to attack places of worship

Malaysian police have arrested a 21-year-old Islamic State (IS)-linked suspect who received orders from Syria to launch attacks on non-Muslims and their places of worship.

The unemployed man was nabbed during a sting operation conducted in Perak, Selangor and Melaka on Sep 8-10.

He "received instructions from a Malaysian Daesh (or IS) member in Syria to buy a pistol, a M-16 rifle, an AK-47 rifle and hand grenades from a neighbouring country with the aim of launching attacks on non-Muslims and their places of worship”, said Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun in a statement.

No details on the places of worship were provided.

The man joined IS earlier this year. He also received instructions from Malaysian fugitive Mahmud Ahmad of the pro-IS faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group and a Saudi Arabia IS bomb expert on how to assemble improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

“Following that (instructions), the suspect tried three times to assemble IEDs,” said Fuzi.

Police seized chemicals used to assemble the devices in his house.

A 38-year-old man was also arrested for planning to join IS in southern Philippines and a militant group in Rakhine state Myanmar, according to Fuzi.

“The suspect actively printed and distributed (IS) flags to promote the group’s struggles,” he added.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of a third person, a bus driver aged 41, who was planning to join IS in Syria at the end of this year.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/malaysia-foils-islamic-state-terror-plot-to-attack-places-of-9215224