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.
Muslim-majority Malaysia practises a moderate brand of Islam and has not seen any
notable terror attacks in recent years.
Source: Agency
U.S. EMBASSY ISSUES TERRORISM WARNING FOR STREET IN MALAYSIA CAPITAL
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The U.S. embassy in Malaysia warned
American citizens on Thursday to avoid a popular tourist street in the capital
Kuala Lumpur because of "credible threat information regarding a potential
terrorist act".
The embassy website issued the security warning for Jalan
Alor, a street in the popular tourist distict of Bukit Bintang, and the
immediate surrounding areas.
Malaysian police officials could not immediately be reached
for comment. However, local media said police had increased patrols in Jalan
Alor and surrounding areas.
The threat was linked to the arrests of several militants
connected to Islamic State in the past month, The Malaysian Insider news portal
reported, quoting police sources.
Source: Agency
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