KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Local financial institutions are being targeted by the Islamic State, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday after 12 locals were detained over alleged links with the outlawed militant group.

He told Malay daily Utusan Malaysia that the police are now in the process of looking for the remaining members of the group that have not been detained.

“We thank the police for taking early preventive measures. The police have a list of the group’s members and we have tracked every one of them,” he was quoted as saying.

“Tracking is being done not only at the country’s entry and exit points, but we also have information about the ‘rat trails’ that they use whether over land or the country’s waters.”

In a separate Utusan report, the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) admitted that the police are investigating several of its personnel who are suspected of being IS sympathisers.

The Chief of Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar, said that the suspects’ social media habits were inclined towards IS, as were their movements.

“We have files of those personnel. When we found out about their tendencies, we have pulled them away for interrogation and we have received help from police for internal investigations,” said Abdul Aziz.

“For now, we give full cooperation to all requests by the police to probe TLDM’s personnel. We do all this with the hope that the IS spirit can be fully banished in this organisation.”

The Malay Mail reported today that the police said they unearthed plans to attack several government buildings in the Klang Valley with the arrests.

Special Branch and Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director SAC Datuk Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay said government buildings and police stations were now under close watch.

Ayub could not disclose the specific locations targeted, but said that vice hotspots were included apart from government offices.

Over the weekend, police arrested 12 people, including a 17-year-old boy, who were on their way up to Gunung Nuang, supposedly to test homemade bombs that would be used in car bombs or suicide attacks.

Police believe the mastermind was among those arrested during the two-day operation in several parts of Hulu Langat in Selangor, Cheras and Kuala Lumpur.

Since February last year, the counter-terrorism division has arrested 107 suspected Malaysian militants.