Kuala Lumpur: Thirteen Malaysians, including women, who were allegedly planning to join the Islamic State terror group in Syria have been arrested during a raid here, police announced today.
The men and women suspects were nabbed by a team of Special Branch's Counter-Terrorism Division operatives at a restaurant in Shah Alam suburb last night, said Inspector- General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.
"We are constantly monitoring these kinds of activities. Militancy and terrorism have no place in this country," Bakar was quoted as saying by the Strait Times.
He said the suspects, including several students, labourers and factory workers, were reportedly planning to go to Syria through Turkey to join the militant group. They were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, he said.
Meanwhile, Home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said that no Malaysian women was found to have joined the Islamic State (IS) as 'comfort women'. Ahmad told Parliament that allegations that Malaysian women were involved in Jihad Al-Nikah activities were merely
rumours.
"The Government, via the police, had identified 39 Malaysians involved in militant activities like IS, of which one was a woman. However, that woman has been identified as the wife of one of the militants," he said. Besides Malaysia, people from Singapore and Indonesia have also joined the ISIS - the hardline group which has swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory under its control.
