Singapore authorities have detained two teenagers, one under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the other under a restriction order, for their involvement in terrorist-related activities. The youngest is a 15-year-old student who had self-radicalised and was planning to carry out knife attacks and behead non-Muslims in tourist areas, as well as becoming a suicide bomber. The other teenager, a 16-year-old, was exposed to far-right extremist content and supported creating an Islamic caliphate through violence, including beheadings, shootings and suicide bombings. The younger of the two had become acquainted with an 18-year-old who was detained last December after making plans to carry out attacks in Singapore. All three teenagers were inspired by ISIS propaganda, but had not yet taken steps to execute their plans. Since 2015, 11 people under the age of 21 have been dealt with under the ISA for terrorist-related activities.

Both teenagers will undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to counter their radical ideologies and propensity for violence, according to the Internal Security Department (ISD). The ministry has said that the trend of young people being detained under the ISA is concerning.

The 15-year-old teenager came across podcasts by foreign preacher Ismail Menk in early 2022 while searching for religious content online. By mid-2022, he had become convinced that armed violence was permissible against “disbelievers,” who he believed included Shia and Sufi Muslims and non-Muslims. He also had discussions with foreigners who influenced him with extremist beliefs. The older teenager was first noticed by the ISD in November 2020 when he was 14, due to his interest in far-right extremist content and Islamic end-times prophecies.

Source: The Straits Times