MALAYSIAN POLICE ARREST 3 OVER SUSPECTED TERROR PLOT

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian authorities have arrested three people, including a Syrian and an Indonesian national, on suspicion of planning terror attacks against domestic and foreign targets, police and news reports said Friday.

The announcement came a day after the US and Australian embassies had warned their citizens to avoid a popular Kuala Lumpur tourist area on Thursday due to an unspecified security threat.

• The detainees were planning to "attack important national assets, Western assets, and public spots", a statement by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said.
• The statement did not specify their nationalities, but Malaysian news outlets quoted Noor Rashid later telling reporters they were a Malaysian, a Syrian and an Indonesian.
• The police statement said one of the foreigners had travelled frequently to Yemen.

On Thursday, the US and Australian embassies warned citizens to stay away from Jalan Alor, an outdoor dining strip in central Kuala Lumpur that is packed nightly with foreigners and locals.

Malaysian news outlets quoted Noor Rashid saying the arrests were related to the Jalan Alor threat, and that the detainees were taken into custody on Thursday. 
Muslim-majority Malaysia practises a moderate brand of Islam and has not seen any 
notable terror attacks in recent years. 

Source: Agency