ISLAMIC State terrorists no longer act as lone wolves but have organised themselves into cells in Malaysia, police said today.

Special Branch Counter-Terrorism chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the first cell detected in Malaysia was the group targeting the “Better Beer Festival” in September.

He said the cells usually have between three and 10 members and have no direct links to IS, which operates in the Middle East.

“Although Daesh (IS) has lost its bases in Raqqa and Mosul, its ideology is still popular.

“When we arrested several STPM students in October, we found that most of them have never even been abroad, less Syria. But they were still influenced by the Daesh ideology through websites, Facebook and learnt how to make bombs.

“This is what we fear. If it were lone wolves in the past, they have now become packs of wolves which have no links to other groups,” said Ayob at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said until now, police are still trying to narrow down the cells, especially after more IS sympathisers began to conduct their own activities following the ouster of IS in Iraq and Syria.

“Before this, they may have gone to Syria. Now that they are baseless, they are planning to have another place of their own.”

On October 10, a 19-year-old STPM student was arrested along with two friends, a military man and a contractor for planning to bomb the “Better Beer Festival” in Kuala Lumpur, non-Islamic places of worship and KLCC where liquor is sold openly.

They were arrested at Pasir Puteh, Kelantan when they were testing two improvised explosive devices (IED).

One of the IEDs detonated while the other failed during “tests”.

Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the IEDs can kill anyone within a radius of 20m to 30m.

Meanwhile, Ayob said police remain cautious when conducting arrests and investigations despite being criticised by opposition politicians for stopping the beer festival.

Ayob also criticised certain opposition leaders who went silent after criticising police and the IGP for cancelling the festival for security purposes.

“Despite criticism from the opposition, we waited until it was the right time to arrest. Until we were sure that the IED threat was real. It kills in a radius of 20m.

“I’m angry at the opposition leaders for being silent (after we found the IEDs and stopped the threat). There is no apology to the IGP till now.” – November 22, 2017.