By Prashanth Parameswaran
The country’s police chief suggests the threat is rising.
Malaysia said Tuesday that suspected militants it had detained for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks were part of a broader group trying to create an Islamic state there.
On Sunday, Malaysia detained 17 people suspected of planning terrorist attacks in the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s police chief Khalid Abu Bakar later said that two of them had recently returned from Syria.
On Tuesday, Khalid said in a statement that the militants were part of a terror cell inspired by the Islamic State (IS) to create a similar regime in Malaysia. He said that the group had planned to kidnap prominent personalities and rob banks to fund their activities . They also planned to raid several army camps and police stations to boost their arsenal of weapons.
“The purpose of this new terrorist group is to establish an Islamic country a la IS in Malaysia,” Khalid said, according to Reuters.
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