Malaysians who have joined the Islamic State in Syria have now reportedly moved up from their previous roles as cleaners — the terror group is banking on Malaysians to act as snipers and suicide bombers in Iraq.
The Star’s Farik Zolkepli, in an exclusive piece, reports that the IS was now training Malaysians — who were initially placed as janitors and guards at IS camps — for these jobs to regain its hold on Iraq.
Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division head Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ayub Khan told the daily that Malaysian militants were chosen from the Khatibah Nusantara cell in Syria to be part of its ‘special ops squad’.
“The Khatibah Nusantara consists of Malaysian and Indonesian IS fighters. They band together as their language and interests are similar,” SAC Ayub was quoted as saying.
He added that three Malaysians — including former ISA detainee Zid Saharani Mohamed Esa, 43 — who had died in Iraq were believed to be on these missions.
“We believe he was one of the snipers assigned to take out targets at a Iraqi government structure in Bayji. Zid, also known as Abu Hoor, went to Syria in July last year. He went to Bangkok and took a flight to Turkey before securing safe passage to Syria by land.
“Prior to this, he was involved with Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia and was detained under the ISA (Internal Security Act) in 2002,” SAC Ayub told The Star.
