Police arrest 12 as IS plot to attack Malaysia sites foiled

Police in Malaysia have arrested 12 people linked to the militant group Islamic State and seized explosives — foiling a plan to attack several locations in and around the capital city.

Mon, 27 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Trinna Leong

The male suspects, aged 17 to 41, were arrested over the weekend at Ulu Langat and Cheras, suburbs near Kuala Lumpur, police chief Khalid Abu Baker saidyesterday.

The men were suspected of plotting attacks on “strategic targets and governmental interests around the Klang Valley”, he said.

The plans were in response to calls by IS to launch terrorist attacks on secular Islamic countries seen as “enemies of IS”.

Authorities said previous arrests of suspected IS militants was another reason behind the intended attacks.

The explosives seized included 20kg of ammonium nitrate and 20kg of potassium nitrate.

Security was heightened in Kuala Lumpur yesterday as leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started arriving in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN summit, which opens officially today.

But it was not clear whether any of the planned attacks were linked to the summit, at which Malaysia will aim to push for regional co-operation to fight terrorism.The country has arrested 92 citizens on suspicion of links to IS.