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MALAYSIAN authorities uncovered a plot to carry a new wave of terror attacks in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries with the arrest of a Filipino and 12 other suspected members of an Indonesian terrorist organization called Katim. The terrorist group is said to be plotting attacks in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia for their "democratic political ideology," China Press reported. Xinhua News Agency reported that the police detained the 13 suspected militants detained in Sabah last week for allegedly plotting attacks on Southeast Asian countries. The group was also said to be using Malaysia as a transit point to recruit members and smuggle arms, although no firearms were recovered during the arrests. Investigation revealed that the suspects helped smuggle arms from the Philippines to Indonesia via Malaysia. The suspects were held based on Malaysia's internal security act following sting operations.

They were allegedly attempting to revive militant activities in the state. The act, due to be formally abolished in March, is a preventive law that allows for detention of insurgents without trial. Fuzi Harun, federal police department director in charge of counter terrorism, was quoted by local daily China Press as saying that the 13 men--seven Malaysians, five Indonesians and a Filipino--were rounded up by the police when they were swearing their allegiance to the Kaltim group, an Indonesian terrorist organization. The organization is linked to a series of deadly assaults in Indonesia, including the "Mobile Brigade" attack in 2005 that left five police and a civilian dead. Fuzi was quoted as saying that the 13 suspects had received military training prior to the arrests. Three of the 13 were religious teachers in Sabah. Among the three Malaysians, two had a prior record of the terrorism-related activities.