Malaysia thwarts terror suicide squad
Malaysia has arrested three members of a suicide bomb squad involved in a thwarted terrorist plot to attack Western embassies in Singapore, officials said today.
They are among four members of an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida who were arrested last week in Johor, a southern state opposite the island of Singapore, one official said.
The squad was part of a back-up unit in a plot to use truck bombs to level the British, US and Australian embassies, he said.
The plot was smashed in December and January when Singaporean and Malaysian police arrested scores of suspects.
The suspects came under the direct control of Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, one of Southeast Asia’s most wanted men and a top leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a terror group linked to al-Qaida, the official said.
Earlier, National Police Chief Norian Mai said in the capital Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia had arrested a few suicide bombers.
He did not elaborate, but did say that four members of the Malaysian Militant Group, or KMM, were arrested recently. The KMM is a component of Jemaah Islamiyah.
Jemaah Islamiyah is blamed for a string of attacks and plots in the region, culminating in the bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali last month, killing nearly 200 people, including about 30 Britons.
“In this country, we have arrested a few who are members of a suicide bombing squad,” Norian said. “They are members of an organisation that is involved in terrorist activities.”
Norian said that police were seeking four more KMM members, though he did not indicate whether they were suspected suicide bombers.
