Islamic State ‘wolf pack’ in Malaysia planned wave of terror attacks, police say after detaining four suspects in sting operation
- Plot is the first time local grievances have been exploited by Isis to inspire foreign militants to launch attacks in the country
- Arrests come against backdrop of heightened unease in society over racial and religious divisions
Malaysian anti-terror police on Monday said they had foiled a wave of large-scale terror attacks and assassinations plotted by an Islamic State “wolf pack” cell during the first week of the Muslim holy month Ramadan.
Four suspects were arrested during a sting operation on suspicion of planning attacks against religious sites and entertainment venues. They had also plotted to kill four high-profile personalities deemed to have insulted Islam or not shown sufficient support for the faith, police said.
A Malaysian, two Rohingya Muslims and an Indonesian were taken into custody between May 5 and 7 in the Klang Valley region of Kuala Lumpur and Terengganu state in the east of the Malay peninsula, according to Inspector General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador.
The Rohingya man was a 20-year-old refugee carrying a certification card from the UNHCR, Hamid said.
“This operation was launched after our Special Branch’s counterterrorism division detected an Isis wolf pack cell … that planned to assassinate four VIPs and launch large-scale attacks on Christian, Hindu and Buddhist places of worship, as well as entertainment centres in the Klang Valley,” Hamid added.