Malaysian PM urges ASEAN leaders to combat terrrorism

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on the Southeast Asian leaders on Saturday to confront extremist groups after a string of terror attacks killed 130 people in Paris, as well as 224 aboard a downed Russian plane.

In his opening speech at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Razak said, “The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed, nor should we allow them to claim to do so. They are terrorists and should be confronted as such, with the full force of the law.”

Razak blasted the recent deadly attacks and atrocities perpetrated by terrorist groups linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“We are ever vigilant against a threat that is very real in our region. Local militants and groups, such as Abu Sayyaf, have sworn allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. It was they who cruelly murdered our countryman, Bernard Then, on Tuesday,” he added.

The summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Malaysian capital was overshadowed by a spate of terror attacks that targeted France, Russia, and most recently Mali where 21 people were killed in a hotel hostage-taking in Bamako.

Malaysia boosted security in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the ASEAN summit where 18 leaders are meeting over the weekend to discuss the region’s economy.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a counter-terrorism resolution overnight that condemned Paris attacks and the bombing of the Russian airliner by Islamic State affiliates, and called on UN member states to redouble their efforts in the fight against extremism. (Sputnik)

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