Malaysian police arrest two Iraqi brothers with ties to IS

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Malaysian police on Tuesday said they had arrested two Iraqi brothers suspected of having ties to the Islamic State (IS) in a crackdown on extremists in the country.

The two brothers were believed to be commanders of the militant group in southern Iraq, according to Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

“[The brothers] worked as technicians and were arrested as they are suspected to be commanders of [IS] in southern Iraq,” Harun said in a statement without providing further details.

An unnamed Malaysian police source told Reuters the two brothers, aged 41 and 63, were arrested on information from foreign intelligence agencies.

“One arrived last year, while the other came in early August,” said the anonymous source, who is not authorized to speak to media.

“We’re still investigating what their activities were in Malaysia,” the source added.

Since 2013, Malaysia has arrested over 250 people on suspicion of ties to the extremist group.

Authorities in Southeast Asia are concerned about the spreading influence of IS as it continues to suffer losses in the Middle East.

Last week, Malaysian police arrested a 25-year-old Philippine national who was suspected of planning an attack at the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 30.

According to Inspector-General Harun, the man had been involved in “fighting, kidnapping, and beheading of foreign hostages in the Philippines.”

Authorities have arrested 19 suspects in a counter-terrorism operation across the country from early July to the end of August.

The suspects were nationals from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, and Iraq among other nations.

Editing by Ava Homa