Malaysia deported two Russians suspected of having links with Islamic State militants, a senior police official said today.

The two suspects were deported yesterday after being arrested in March, a few days after arriving in Malaysia, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement.

The two suspects, of Chechen descent, were previously expelled from Turkey because of alleged involvement with the Islamic State group.

Malaysia, which is mostly Muslim, has widened security operations against supporters of Islamist ideologies. Police records showed that at least 160 local militants have been charged since the crackdown began in 2014.

On Thursday, a Malaysian court sentenced four Malaysian militants to between 20 and 25 years' imprisonment for plotting to bomb government buildings and entertainment centres.

Malaysian security agencies estimated that nearly 100 Malaysians have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside Islamic State.

- dpa