Islamists accused of plotting attack on Saudi king in Malaysia
Yemenis detained for alleged vehicle bomb conspiracy aimed at King Salman
Malaysian authorities announced on Tuesday they had foiled a plot against Saudi Arabia’s monarch on a tour of Asia last week and had arrested seven men, including four Yemeni nationals.
Malaysia’s police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the men arrested in February, who were suspected of links to militant groups including Isis, had plotted to attack King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud while he was visiting Kuala Lumpur last week.
“They were planning to attack Arab royalties during their visit to Kuala Lumpur. We got them in the nick of time,” Mr Khalid told reporters.
Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition against Yemen’s Houthi rebellion in a controversial armed intervention aimed at restoring the government in exile.
Malaysian police said in an earlier statement that two of the detained men, a Malaysian and an Indonesian, were plotting a large-scale car or truck bomb attack before travelling to join Isis in Syria.
Recent Islamist terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia have been less deadly than in Europe and high-profile strikes against urban targets have become rare, but there have been sporadic clashes between militants and security forces in the southern Philippines and the jungles of Sulawesi island in Indonesia.
Last year Malaysian police arrested three suspected militants who were allegedly planning to attack a Hindu temple complex north of Kuala Lumpur.
This followed a grenade attack at a Malaysian nightclub in June that authorities linked to Isis, making it the group’s first alleged attack in the country. Isis was also linked to a shootout and explosions in Jakarta at the start of last year, which killed seven people, including the five militants.
King Salman’s four-day visit to Malaysia was the start of a month-long Asian tour aimed at deepening political and business ties in key export markets for Saudi oil.
On the second day of the king’s visit, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company announced plans to invest $7bn in a Malaysian refining project.
The deal is one of Saudi Aramco’s biggest investments in refining and petrochemicals, and fits with a strategy of expanding refining capabilities in key markets to secure demand for its crude oil exports.
The Saudi ruler left Malaysia for Indonesia last week, and is expected to go on to China, Japan and the Maldives.
The king arrived in Kuala Lumpur with a 600-strong delegation, including members of the royal household and ministers, according to Malaysia’s state news agency.
He touched down in Indonesia with a fleet of aircraft and 459 tonnes of luggage including two Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousines, freight handlers told local media.