Workplaces were closed in two regions under a state of emergency, as Malaysia’s leader called on mosques to hold special Friday prayers for rain to rid the country of hazardous haze from Indonesian forest fires.

The Malaysian government today imposed a haze emergency in two towns where air pollution has exceeded hazardous levels, closing workplaces indefinitely and banning all burning activities, the national news agency Bernama reported.

Malaysian police have arrested 14 suspected Islamic militants, including the wife of a man accused of helping the hijackers responsible for last year’s attacks on the US.