Malaysia foils IS-linked plot, seizes explosives

Malaysian police said Monday they have arrested four militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group who were in possession of explosives and planned to attack non-Muslim places of worship.

The suspects -- a Malaysian who led the group, two Rohingya from Myanmar and one Indonesian -- were detained last week in raids around Kuala Lumpur and in eastern Terengganu state.

Malaysia's national police chief Abdul Hamid Bador described them as an "Islamic State cell" and said they planned to "assassinate high-profile individuals and attack Hindu, Christian and Buddhist places of worship in Malaysia".

He did not give any details about who the high-profile individuals were. Police also seized six improvised explosive devices, a pistol and 15 bullets, he said.

The planned attacks were to avenge the high-profile death of a Muslim fireman during riots at an Indian temple outside Kuala Lumpur last year, police said.

One of the Rohingya admitted supporting the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a ...