Enhance intelligence sharing to prevent ‘lone wolf’ attacks

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KUALA LUMPUR: The sharing of intelligence information among regional and international agencies must be enhanced to prevent plans of individual or ‘lone wolf’ attacks by Daesh militants.

The principal assistant director of the Counter-Terrorism Division of the Special Branch at Bukit Aman, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said attempts at such attacks were difficult to detect as those involved received their orders via the social website such as Facebook.

He said three young men aged 16, 17 and 28 were detained for planning to carry out the lone wolf attacks in the country since 2013.

“Effective collaboration and inteligence information received from all concerned had succeeded in preventing the three individuals from carrying out the attacks.

“The ‘lone wolf’ attacks are rather difficult to detect if there are no intelligence report,” he said.

He said this to reporters after attending the International Association for Counter-Terorism and Security Professionals (IACSP) Asean Security Symposium and Awards here, yesterday.

On Aug 13, a 17-year-old youth was detained in Sabah for planning to carry out ‘lone wolf’ attacks by slaughtering non-Muslims in Sandakan after receiving instructions from Daesh members in Syria.

He also confirmed that three Malaysian nationals who were suicide bombers namely Hassan Zakaria and Abu Salim who were both in their 20’s, and Muhammad Izzul Imam Mohd Isa, who joined the Daesh movement, had been killed in Syria last week.

Ayob Khan said 90 Malaysian nationals were detected to be in Syria and Iraq so far for being involved with the Daesh militant group.

He said of the total, 24 individuals were reported killed including for involvement as suicide bombers.

Meanwhile, eight of the 90 individuals had returned to Malaysia and had been detained.

“They were believed to have returned to carry out attacks, seek medical treatment while some had used the country as a transit point before going back to Syria,” he added. — Bernama