Malaysian police have captured 12 Islamist militants, most of them from Indonesia, who are suspected to have planned terrorist attacks in the region, the Star newspaper said on Tuesday. The dozen men were arrested recently after six months of police surveillance in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on Borneo island, the daily said, quoting unnamed sources. Malaysia's police special branch were not immediately available for comment. Indonesia, which has seen deadly terrorist attacks in Bali and Jakarta, welcomed the report on Tuesday, saying it would help weaken militant networks in the region. "I believe this is a good sign and an important step to fight terrorism," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters during a visit to Malaysia. He said that Indonesian police with the cooperation of their Malaysian counterparts had arrested several people a few months ago for smuggling explosive materials from Sabah into Indonesia.
Regional police forces had been monitoring suspicious groups on Borneo island and in the southern Philippines, he added. The Star newspaper said police had seized firearms and documents from the 12 men, including bomb-making instructions downloaded from the Internet. The men included at least two Malaysians and had been travelling through Sabah when police nabbed them, it added.