IS planning Merdeka attack in Perak, reveals police chief

The Islamic State (IS) is planning to launch an attack in Perak during the upcoming Merdeka celebrations, revealed the police.

Perak police chief Hasnan Hassan said intelligence reports indicated that the terrorist group is targeting places of worship and banks, among others.

He said the police are taking the necessary precautions, especially with regard to areas where large crowds are expected.

“We have enhanced police patrol in the state and have arranged for officers and personnel accordingly,” he was quoted as saying by China Press.

The news comes in the wake of a large-scale raid carried out in Kuala Lumpur by Bukit Aman's special branch counter-terrorism division.

More than 400 foreigners were detained in the dragnet which saw police personnel tearing down doors.

The 200-strong raiding party comprised teams from the police’s general operations force, traffic division, as well as the federal reserve, forensics, K9 unit, special action (UTK) and bomb disposal units

Bukit Aman's counter terrorism chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, who led the team, said the operation was carried out to track down FTFs (foreign terrorist fighters) believed to have slipped into the country, and Malaysian IS militants who have returned.

The New Straits Times reported in May that Malaysia had been made the unwitting receiver of foreign fighters who were stopped from entering Syria to fight alongside IS. - Mkini