IS encouraging Malaysian youths for lone-wolf attacks

Malaysian IS members are asking their countrymen to fight alongside the dreaded terror group in the wake of its “recognition” of the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf as part of the Islamic State “caliphate”, they said. “Islamic State is now encouraging its supporters to carry out their own jihad in their country without any need for organisation,” Dr Maszlee Malik, political analyst at the International Islamic University Malaysia, was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. He referred to a chilling 21-minute video uploaded on social media on June 23, calling on Malaysians to join the “Philippines brotherhood” entrusted by IS to lead the “caliphates army”. 

Featured in the video was Malaysian Mohd Rafi Udin, also known as Abu Aun al-Malysi, who said “sympathisers who could not go to Mindanao should launch their own jihad on Malaysian soil using whatever means at their disposal.” 

In the video Mohd Rafi said “You have a car, knock them down. You have a weapon or a knife, even a small one, stab them in the chest. Do not be afraid.” IS was encouraging a new method of destruction - the lone wolf attack. “Lone wolf attacks involve self radicalised individuals who are IS sympathisers. They can launch their own attack and consider it a ‘jihad’.