Suspected Malaysian militants loyal to the extremist Islamic State movement bought bomb-making material ahead of a proposed attack on a Carlsberg brewery near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, a top anti-terrorism official said.
The plan, which the official said was at a "discussion" stage, would be the first time Southeast Asian militants inspired by Islamic State's rise have sought to launch a major attack at home, adding to officials' fears of a domestic "blowback" from the group's expansion in Syria and Iraq.
Ayob Khan Mydin, the police counterterrorism division's deputy chief, told reporters that the group of 19 suspected militants had obtained quantities of aluminum powder — often used as an ingredient in bombs.