(AFP) - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that local militants were allied with terrorists in neighbouring Singapore, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

"There is a link among militants operating in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Mahathir was quoted as saying by Bernama .

"I am confident they (local militants) have links with (militants) in Singapore. But I do not have any evidence," he added.

Mahathir had been asked to comment on whether the 13 terror suspects arrested in Singapore were linked to the Malaysian Mujahidin Group (KMM).

The 13 were suspected members of an Islamic militant group, linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Singapore authorities said yesterday the group had two "well-developed plans" to target US military personnel and bomb US warships.

The plan to hit US personnel was "apparently ready for activation," according to declassified information released by the home affairs ministry following last month's arrest.

The identities of the 13 men - 12 Singaporeans and a Malaysian businessman - were also revealed. The Malaysian was identified as Faiz Abu Bakar Bafana. Two other Singaporean men had been detained but were released.

Al-Qaeda operatives

Mahathir had shocked the nation in an interview with Japanese monthly magazine Chuokoron , in which he revealed that bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network had recruited about 50 Malaysian operatives.

"Yes, about 50. We have tracked down quite a number of them. They were trained in Afghanistan," Mahathir was quoted as saying.

Last week, police announced they had detained 13 men between Dec 9 and Jan 3 who are said to be linked to Zacarias Moussaoui, a Frenchman on trial in the United States for his alleged role in the Sept 11 attacks.

Their arrests followed the detention of 25 KMM members last year under the Internal Security Act which allows detention without trial.

"As far as we are concerned their intentions are very bad, namely to create trouble and to overthrow the government through terrorism," Mahathir had said.