ISIS News Today: Islamic State Crosses Out Malaysia As Transit Point For Militants After Police Crackdown

Malaysia's crackdown on militants intending to volunteer their services for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) appears to be tough enough to be felt by the extremist group as the latter reportedly issued a warning to prospective supporters not to use Malaysia as a transit point to Syria.

"If Indonesians ask where they have to go through, please do not give advice to pass through Turkey or any place where they have to transit in Malaysia," warned a recruiter identified as Abu Hud in the ISIS website as reported in The Straits Times on Tuesday.

"It is tantamount to suicide, It is not safe anymore!" he wrote.

The recruiter said many Indonesian militants have been arrested before they can reach their destination because they used Malaysia as a transit point.

The Malaysian police counter-terrorism division has been hunting down militants with more than 65 either on their way to Syria and Iraq or on their way back arrested since last year, according to The Malaysian Insider.

"We are glad our efforts are showing results and are preventing militants from joining ISIS through Malaysia," Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim was quoted as saying.

"We will continue our vigilance at all exit and entry points to ensure no one slips through our net," he added.

The Malaysian police are also on the lookout for recruits from other countries.

Some Malaysians have been reported to even take out personal loans to join the ISIS. At least 59 Malaysians are officially known to have joined the militant group.

Last month, 12 Indonesians, including five children, have been arrested in Selangor. The group was about to fly from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Turkey and then to Syria when its members were arrested by the police.

With Malaysia cutting the transit route, The Star reported that militants may switch to alternative transit points like Brunei, Hong Kong, China, and some European countries to reach Turkey and then Syria.

"The authorities discovered that Brunei was one alternative route used by Malaysian militants following an arrest last month," The Star quoted an unnamed source. "It is possible that Indonesian militants may be using the same route as well," a source said.