Malaysian police have arrested 13 people believed to have "links" with ISIL, a report said Wednesday, as concern grows over the extremist group’s appeal in the moderate Muslim country.

Malaysian police have arrested 13 people believed to have "links" with ISIL, a report said Wednesday, as concern grows over the extremist group's appeal in the moderate Muslim country.

The Star newspaper quoted national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying the 13 Malaysians were arrested in a raid on a restaurant in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

He added they bring the number of people arrested since April this year over suspected ISIL links to 36.