Malaysian police arrested eight people, including two women, allegedly affiliated with the terrorist group Daech this weekend, on charges of planning an attack on Malaysia’s King Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, according to a statement issued by Malaysia’s Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Monday.
An initial police investigation uncovered the existence of threats against King Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as other prominent officials, and senior members of the Malaysian police force.
The suspects, six men and two women from diverse backgrounds, including both unemployed and educated professionals, were arrested over the weekend in various parts of the country.
In March, a man suspected of links to an al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group stormed a police station in Malaysia, killing two officers before being shot dead.
The machete-wielding man wounded one policeman before grabbing a gun and shooting another. A third policeman was wounded before the assailant was shot dead.