MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti) — Malaysian police have arrested three suspected Islamic State militants after they returned from the Middle East, and are searching for two their associates, New Straits Times reported Saturday.
"It is hard for police to ascertain how many of them have come back, when their going to Syria was not properly tracked," a police source told New Straits Times.
Mohamad Fauzi, also known by Abu Dayyan nickname, described as "tier one personality", was among the detained.
According to the newspaper, 37 suspected Islamic State militants have been detained since April. However, main recruiters have not been found yet.
The Islamic State is a Sunni jihadi group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq, seizing vast areas in both countries and announcing the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
Malaysia views Islamic State as a terrorist group, and the country's prime minister announced in September his government was determined to fight extremism.
