They tested bombs in Kedah

End of the road: The suspects being detained by Counter Terrorism division in Kedah.

PETALING JAYA: The two militant expert bomb makers arrested in Kuala Muda, Kedah, have managed to conduct tests on their home-made explosives as authorities continue to search for their stash.

Intelligence sources said Muhammad Syazani Mahzan and Muhamad Nuurul Amin Azizan managed to produce the explosives, believed to be Triacetone triperoxide (TATP), and even tested this near their homes in Kuala Muda.

“Authorities have strong indications that the duo have managed to test their weapons. It is fortunate that the militants were caught before they could use the explosives on their targets,” a source said.

Authorities also believe that the two suspects had hidden various materials and chemicals to make bombs, including TATP.

“Efforts to locate the materials are ongoing,” the source said.

Produced by mixing acetone and hydrogen peroxide, TATP is a high impact explosive that can be easily manufactured with readily accessible reagents and is extremely difficult to detect.

“It can destroy and kill anything or anyone within a 25m to 50m radius. TATP is usually fitted into a pipe bomb, which can be detonated remotely via a safety fuse.

“It is commonly used by terrorists in Thailand and Indonesia,” a source said.

The most recent example of the use of TATP is the coordinated suicide bombings by a single family on three churches in Surabaya, Indonesia, in May last year.

A family of six, including a nine-year-old girl, killed at least 13 people. A police station was also targeted during the bombings.

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador had said that both Muhammad Syazani and Muhamnad Nuurul Amin had gone for bomb-making training in Jogjakarta in 2018 conducted by the Jemaah Ansharut Daulah Indonesia terror group.

“Both suspects also cased a few churches in Jogjakarta for potential targets.

“Muhammad Syazani also planned to target a non-Muslim house of worship in Malaysia via a suicide bomb attack,” the IGP had said.

Both militants were among three men detained in an anti-terror swoop in Kedah and Selangor on May 14 by the Counter Terrorism Division (E8). The third man is Indonesian Nuruddin Alele@Fatin Tir.

“The Indonesian suspect was planning to flee the country once his terror plans were successful. He was planning to head to Indonesia via illegal jetties around Banting,” a source said.

According to the sources, only the Indonesian militant belonged to the wolf pack while the Malaysians had links but belonged to another cell.

It was reported last Monday that four members of an Islamic State wolf pack cell were detained in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.

They were planning to assassinate four VIPs and target non-Muslim houses of worship in the Klang Valley as well as entertainment outlets.

Six improvised explosive devices were also seized during the raids along with a CZ9mm pistol and 15 bullets.

Since February 2013, a total of 488 militants have been detained while the E8 has thwarted 25 terror plots in the country.- Star