PENDANG, Aug 21 — The involvement of women from the South-east Asian region in suicide bombing has become more alarming, said Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

"We are concerned about the involvement of women as suicide bombers. It is a new trend in Southeast Asian region where women are used to carry out suicide bomb attacks,” he told a press conference after delivering a talk at the Security Awareness Seminar: Addressing Threats of Islamic State, IS and Deviant Teachings here today.

Ayob Khan said the cooperation between Islamic State militant groups in the country, Indonesia and southern Philippines was also worrying.

This is following the arrest of two suspected Islamic State members from Indonesia in May, who were believed to have acted as facilitators to other Islamic State members on transit in Sabah before leaving for southern Philippines to carry out suicide missions, he said.

Meanwhile, he said 40 people including two women had been detained so far in the country, believed to be involved in the militant activities since January.

"We are focused on prevention, if there are preliminary information and enough evidence we will make the arrest and we will not let them launch an attack,” he said. — Bernama