A suspected military training base in White River was raided by police on Friday, acting on intelligence information.
Ninety-five suspects, all from Libya, were arrested.
“We take any threat to the security and stability of our province and country seriously,” Mpumalanga acting police commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi said.
“This operation demonstrates our commitment to acting swiftly and decisively against any activities that could undermine our national interests and ensure the safety of our citizens because that is our primary mandate.”
Spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli said the suspects are being questioned.
“The investigation is ongoing and details will be provided as they become available. The SAPS assures the public there is no immediate threat to community safety.”
Mdhluli said the raid came after Mkhwanazi, acting on intelligence information, activated the ProvJoint structure two days ago, which included teams from police intelligence and the home affairs department.
Police have not yet disclosed what they know about the operations on the property.
The US earlier this week issued sanctions against three individuals allegedly working as financiers for a network associated with expanded Isis activities in Africa.
“They serve as critical links between far-flung Isis operations, allowing Isis leadership to leverage each affiliate’s capabilities to undermine peace and security in the region. Their destabilising impact spans much of Sub-Saharan Africa, which underscores the need for the international community to continue to work together to share information on transnational Isis networks, their evolving financial methods and measures to combat them,” the notice said.
Two of the suspects have links to South Africa, according to the US Treasury.
One, they said, is allegedly “involved in the physical transfer of funds from South Africa to the DRC, facilitates the movement of Isis-affiliated individuals from Uganda to South Africa and vice versa [and has been] involved in robberies and kidnap for ransom”.
The other, they alleged, is a South Africa-based Isis facilitator and trainer.
The notice states: “Isis leaders in South Africa have historically used robbery, extortion and kidnap-for-ransom operations to generate funds for the group.”
The third person named by the US is based in the DRC, accused of being an intermediary for Isis financial flows in central Africa and of funding the October 2021 Kampala bombing, which killed one and injured at least three others.
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