10 suspected Islamic State militants arrested

dimeji akinloye

August 20, 2015 8:06 PM

The suspects consisted of six security forces personnel, two government workers, a kindergarten teacher and a former interior designer, Khalid said.

ISIS fighters.

Bakar Khalid, Malaysia police chief, said on Thursday, August 20, that 10 suspected Islamic State militants were arrested in Malaysia by counterterrorism police operatives.

He said the suspects were arrested in simultaneous raids on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, the country's capitral, and the states of Perlis, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.

The suspects were allegedly involved in spreading Islamic State's ideology, recruiting Malaysians to fight in Syria, collecting money for the group and helping Malaysian Islamic State fighters returning from Syria, Khalid said.

"We also believe they were planning to acquire weapons to launch attacks in Malaysia’’, Khalid said.

Police said at least 63 Malaysian citizens have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside Islamic State militants.

Dozens more Malaysians have been charged in court since last year for trying to go to Syria to join the jihadist group.

dimeji akinloye