Malaysia arrests 13 people with suspected link to Isis cells

Muslim-majority Malaysia has set up counter-terrorism units in every state of the country to rein in rising threat of Islamist militancy.

Malaysia arrested 13 people with suspected links to Islamic State militant cells in the latest crackdown on militant modules in the county since the Jakarta bombing on January 14.

The inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said Isis-linked documents were confiscated during the raid.

The suspects were arrested in an anti-terror sting operation on Wednesday, Reuters reported citing local media.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has set up counter-terrorism units in every state of the country to rein in rising threat of Islamist militancy after a deadly blast in neighboring Indonesia's capital.

Abu Bakar told the Star daily the authorities are not taking any chances after Isis terrorists struck at the heart of Europe on Tuesday, hitting strategic points in Brussels.

Police are taking action "on the slightest information" and that they "cannot afford to wait and see", Abu Bakar said.

In January, Malaysia said it busted a suspected Islamist State cell and arrested seven people in a three-day operation.

The suspects had trained their eyes on Malaysian targets and had received training from Syrian members of the Islamic State (Isis),police said.

The officials said their handlers included Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian militant named as the mastermind of January. 14 suicide attacks in Jakarta, Reuters reported.

Plot to kidnap prime minister

Earlier this month, authorities said they thwarted an Islamic State (Isis) plot to kidnap Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The plot to kidnap Najib and other top leaders was uncovered and foiled in January last year, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the deputy prime minister, said in parliament.

The Daesh militants had also planned in 2014 to launch attacks at several locations in Alor Setar, Kedah, police said.

Malaysia has detained more than 150 people since January 2015 on terror-related charges.

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