Malay-speaking IS warn Malaysia of retaliation for arresting their members

PETALING JAYA - Katibah Nusantara, the Malaysian-Indonesia unit of the Islamic State (IS) has issued a warning to Malaysia, vowing revenge for the arrests of its members, reported The Star today.

The warning was given in a video titled “Mesej Awam kepada Malaysia” (Public Message for Malaysia). The message in the Bahasa Malaysia video goes “If you catch us, we will only increase in number but if you let us be, we will be closer to our goal of bringing back the rule of the Khalifah (caliph).”

“Those who brand us as khawarij (dissenters), Daesh (another name for IS) and even as Mossad agents are in fact Syiah and its allies. We will never bow down to the democratic system of governance as we will only follow Allah’s rules,” the message went.

According to the report, another video is also making its round on the internet, in which Malaysian militants speaking in Bahasa Malaysia, can be heard urging “brothers” from Somalia’s Al-Shab-aab to join the IS and its “jihad.”

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division head SAC Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the threat issued by Katibah Nusantara shows their brazen stance.

Both the videos were posted on a website sanctioned by the IS, which signifies the IS’s recognition of Katibah, he said.

“Prior to this, we only saw videos posted on Facebook or other social media sites but this particular video is a clear indication that Katibah is among the major foreign factions in IS.”

Malaysian police arrested seven people for alleged links with the IS recently.

Katibah is believed to have more than 200 Malaysians and Indonesians fighting for them. An Indonesian member of the unit, Bahrun Naim, was said to be behind the recent bomb blasts and gun attacks in Jakarta.