Malaysia Charges 2 Militant Suspects of Planning Attacks on Places of Worship

Malaysian authorities filed charges Monday against two suspected Islamic State (IS) members, alleging they were planning to launch attacks on non-Muslim places of worship and other targets, including police stations.

Another suspected militant was charged in the southern state of Johor with possession of pro-IS videos in his mobile phone and tablet, officials said.

The three were part of a six-member terrorist cell arrested by Malaysian counter-terror officials in three separate raids since the end of February in the state, Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement on Saturday.

Authorities did not name the places of worship in the charge sheet.

“We cannot reveal the names of their targets, but I can confirm they were targeting a few police personnel and officers from Johor,” Fuzi told reporters.

A suspected Filipino bomb maker with alleged ties to Furuji Indama, a leader of the pro-IS militant group Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines, also was arrested in the eastern state of Sabah this month, Fuzi said. Officials did not release the suspect’s name.

Abu Sayyaf militants are known for beheading hostages unless ransom payments are made. Last year, they beheaded a German captive in February and two Vietnamese sailors in July.