KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Federal police have thwarted a planned attack by Islamic State militants against the Qatar and Saudi Arabia embassies here.

Bukit Aman Special Branch and Counter Terrorism unit arrested two Iraqi nationals, aged 39 and 42, in Jalan Ampang on Thursday.

The department’s director SAC Datuk Ayub Khan said the suspects were arrested before they could execute the attack.

“This is a major success for us. Our investigations are now focused on finding out if there are remaining militants in the country linked to the two suspects we have arrested.”

Ayub said police started tracking down the militants after they received reports from the two embassies that they have received threats.

“We started tracking down the militants since March 10 and they were constantly moving from one place to another.

“While police were following their trails we found out that that they have stayed in several places in Selangor and Johor.”

Ayub said the 39-year-old suspect had entered the country legally in mid February while his accomplice had been in the country close to a year.

“Our initial investigation on the militants revealed that they were sent to the country by other IS militants to carry out the attack.”

Ayub said there is a possibility the other IS militants are based in Malaysia.

“We are establishing that and will ensure we get all of them.”

The threats to members of the Middle Eastern diplomats in the country were given to a special officer working in the Qatar embassy in Jalan Ampang two weeks ago.

The death threats were from unknown sources but believed to be from IS militants from Iraq.

Ayub said this was the second second time the Saudi Arabian embassy here has received such threats.

“They lodged a police report when they were threatened late last year.”

Police said the militants in their death threat had claimed they possessed a large amount of heavy weaponry in Malaysia and was ready to launch an attack on both the ambassadors’ offices here on March 31.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said: “IS threats are real and if the police are careful we can experience something unwarranted”.

Khalid said police will step up their efforts to identify members of the movement here and take immediate action.