Malaysia police investigate report that Dhaka gunman studied in Monash University Malaysia: Source

A photo of Nibras Islam, one of the Bangladesh gunmen who helped attack the Dhaka cafe where 20 hostages were brutally killed on July 2. PHOTO: THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR - One of the seven militants who attacked a cafe in Dhaka last Friday was reported to be a student at the private Monash University Malaysia.

News portal Indiatoday reported on Sunday that the militant, identified as Nibras Islam, was from an affluent family and had attended Monash University Malaysia.

The portal said a social media account attributed to him shows that he was the "Treasurer at Monash University International Student Services".

Malaysia's New Straits Times (NST) said the authenticity of the account could not be verified.

The newspaper quoted a source in the Malaysian police as saying that its Special Branch Counter-terrorism Division was investigating whether the attacker had studied in Malaysia.

"We have just received the details from our counterparts (in Bangladesh).

"We have never heard of the name 'Nibras Islam', but we will check with the university's management whether the claims were true," he was quoted as saying by NST.

The newspaper also reported that police had been monitoring foreign students over suspicions of their involvement in terror group such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Citing the source, the report said a number of students, including those from Bangladesh, had been deported back to their countries for alleged involvement with militant activities.

"Some foreigners had entered Malaysia as a student before flying to Syria," the source was quoted as saying.

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