Malaysia arrests 20 suspects with link to recent terrorist activities

Malaysia police - Illustrative image (Source: Reuters)

According to Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, the suspects were captured in a counter-terrorism operation carried out in four states between November 30 and December 15.

Among them is a 50-year-old Filipino suspected of recruiting his fellow countrymen in Malaysia to the Abu Sayyaf Group, and a 24-year-old Indonesian man, believed to be a leader of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah terror group, which supports the Islamic State (IS).

The latter was involved in a July 2017 bombing in Bandung, Indonesia before entering Malaysia to escape arrest by the Indonesia authorities, Mohamad Fuzi said.

The Southeast Asian country has been on high alert since gunmen linked to the IS launched multiple attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia in January 2016.

Between 2012 and April 2017, a total of 989 people were arrested under Malaysia’s anti-terrorism law./.

VNA