Two Malaysians spotted in ISIS beheading video identified by police

Nor Mahmudah, the wife of Muhamad Wanndy. The couple are believed to have travelled to Syria in January this year. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Nor Mahmudah, the wife of Muhamad Wanndy. The couple are believed to have travelled to Syria in January this year. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The two Malaysians spotted in an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) beheading video have been identified as Muhamad Wanndy Muhamad Jedi (left) and Mohd Faris Anwar. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR - Two Malaysians spotted in an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) beheading video have been identified by Malaysian police's counter-terrorism unit, The Star Online reported on Wednesday.

The suspected extremists were named as 20-year-old Mohd Faris Anwar and 26-year-old Muhamad Wanndy Muhamad Jedi by Senior Assistant Commissioner Ayub Khan, principal assistant director of Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division, the report said.

Mohd Faris is from Kedah while Muhamad Wanndy is from Malacca, said SAC Ayub at a press conference.

The police official released their photographs and that of Muhamad Wanndy's 26-year-old wife, Nor Mahmudah Ahmad, who is from Baling, Kedah.

In the 30-second video believed to have been shot in Syria, Faris was seen signalling to the camera with his index finger while Muhamad Wanndy was believed to be the person recording the video, The Star said.

The video was uploaded on Feb 22 to the Facebook account of a Abu Hamzah Al Fateh, which SAC Ayub said belonged to Muhamad Wanndy.

The clip showed the beheading of a Syrian man accused by ISIS of being a spy for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

A militant identified as an Arab carried out the beheading, before another militant identified as an Indonesian held the head of the victim aloft as he shouted "Allahu Akbar (God is great)".

SAC Ayub said that from intelligence gathered, the video was taken by Muhamad Wandy based on the voice heard in the clip.

Faris is believed to have gone to Syria in September last year while Muhamad Wanndy and his wife went to the war-torn country in January this year.

The duo are believed to be part of the new wing of Malaysian and Indonesian militants identified as Majmu'ah al Arkhabiliy, The Star said.

The wing replaced the older unit that went by the name of Katibah Nusantara Lid Daulah Islamiah in Syria and Iraq, the report said, citing SAC Ayub.

He noted that the intelligence agencies had detected the new wing last year.

"They have about 100 members and we are still in the midst of identifying the number of Malaysians involved in the group,' he said.

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