Malaysia: Police arrest five for terror connections October 13-26

Event

Malaysian police arrested five people suspected of maintaining links to terror organizations in an large-scale security operation from October 13 to October 26. Police detained the suspects in Selangor, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, and Sabah; two of the five arrested are Malaysian citizens, and there are no apparent connections between those arrested. Additional security operations targeting individuals with suspected terror links are possible in Malaysia in the near term.

Context

Some Western governments caution travelers that Malaysia faces an elevated risk of terror attacks. Since 2013, more than 420 people have been arrested for suspected links to terror groups, many of whom were detained following an Islamic State (IS)-linked attack on a Kuala Lumpur nightclub in 2016. Notably, security forces arrested eight people in a counterterrorism operation on September 24.

Advice

Individuals in Malaysia are advised to remain vigilant for militant activity and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities.