Detention of Self-Radicalised Singaporean Youth
A 17-year-old male Singaporean was arrested in August 2024 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for investigation, and subsequently issued with a two-year Order of Detention in September 2024. The Internal Security Department’s (ISD’s) investigation found that the student was a staunch supporter of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and had planned to conduct a terrorist attack in Singapore. He had also planned to travel to Syria to engage in armed violence.
Self-Radicalisation Process
2. In August 2023, the youth became exposed to the teachings of foreign radical preachers while searching for religious knowledge online. He started to subscribe to segregationist religious beliefs, for example, the view that Muslims should not extend festive greetings to non-Muslims. Following HAMAS’s 7 October 2023 attacks, there was a surge in online extremist materials by ISIS and other terrorist groups capitalising on the conflict to peddle their violent narratives. The youth’s exposure to the pro-ISIS material online led him down the path of radicalisation. He joined various online groups which provided updates on ISIS’s activities, and bought into ISIS’s rhetoric of promoting the use of armed violence to establish an Islamic caliphate. By January 2024, the youth had become a staunch ISIS supporter and aspired to die as a martyr while fighting for the group. In May 2024, he took a bai’ah (pledge of allegiance) to ISIS (see Annex A for excerpts of the bai’ah he crafted). After reciting the bai’ah in his room, he regarded himself as an ISIS member and was willing to carry out any instructions from the group, including mounting attacks.
Preparations to Conduct an Attack in Singapore
3. After taking the bai’ah to ISIS, the youth formulated a plan to attack non-Muslim males in Singapore, as he believed that he had to obey ISIS’s incitement for its followers to kill non-Muslims wherever they are. Inspired by ISIS’s propaganda which glorified suicide knife attacks, he decided to conduct a similar attack at the HDB heartlands near Tampines West Community Centre (see Annex B for photos of the planned attack location taken by ISD). He chose this location as it had a high footfall and was within walking distance from his home.
4. The youth planned to execute his attack on non-Muslim males during the school holidays in September 2024, and took concrete steps to prepare himself for the attack. He planned to use either a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors in his house as his attack weapon, as he felt that he could wield them effectively and inflict maximum damage on his targets (see Annex C for images of the kitchen knife and scissors). To ensure that he could kill or grievously wound his targets, he planned to stab them in the neck, and practised stabbing motions using different grips with the scissors. In June 2024, he conducted a walkthrough of the route he would take from his house for his attack.
5. The youth was determined to be killed by the police or passers-by during his attack, as it would fulfil his aspiration to become a martyr. He felt a sense of pride knowing that his planned attack, if successfully executed, would be the first terrorist attack in Singapore in recent decades. He crafted a declaration of armed jihad against non-Muslims, which he planned to release before his attack, in the hope of inspiring other Muslims to engage in armed violence (see Annex D for excerpts of the declaration).
Plans to Undertake Armed Violence in Syria
6. Prior to formulating his local attack plan, the youth also harboured the intention to travel to Syria to join ISIS and engage in armed violence. While he did not have any specific timeline for his travel to Syria, he had reached out to an online foreign contact based in Syria for travel advice and researched on flight routes to Syria. While he was against National Service (NS) as he did not wish to serve a secular, and therefore, in his view, a kuffar (infidel) government, he would still go through NS if enlisted as he saw it as a potential avenue to equip himself with military and combat skills to aid him in fighting in Syria. In addition, to prepare himself for Syria, he downloaded materials from an extremist magazine which contained tips on planning an attack or conducting a roadside ambush.
7. Up till the point of his arrest, the youth continued to see his plan to fight in Syria as an important and meaningful endeavour, as he would be able to fight and die alongside fellow ISIS fighters to facilitate the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that it would be difficult to travel to Syria without arousing suspicions from his family. This contributed to his decision to plan an attack in Singapore, which he felt would be easier to carry out and fulfil his aspirations to be a martyr.
Propagation of Radical and Segregationist Beliefs
8. The youth actively shared radical materials promoting armed jihad, including nasheeds (chants) by ISIS, with the followers of his social media accounts. He admitted that he wanted to influence his followers into hating non-Muslims and believing that it was acceptable to kill them. He also frequently shared his segregationist beliefs, such as advising Muslims not to interact with non-Muslims or participate in non-Muslim festivals.
ISD’s Investigation To-date
9. ISD’s investigation to-date found that the youth acted alone and was unsuccessful in radicalising his followers or contacts. His family and friends were unaware of his plans to conduct an attack in Singapore or engage in armed violence in Syria. However, his parents had noticed that he was watching videos of foreign preachers and advised him against consuming such materials as they may not be suitable for Singapore’s context. He disregarded their advice. The youth took steps to conceal his radical activities, such as using codewords when discussing his radical beliefs online, and virtual private networks when surfing radical websites.
Youth Radicalisation and Continuing Appeal of ISIS’s Violent Ideologies
10. This case underscores the trend of youth radicalisation seen in recent years. Such radicalisation which usually takes place via online means can occur within a short span of a few months. With ISIS and other terrorist groups calling on their followers to mount attacks wherever they are located, there is a growing threat of lone-actor attacks against soft targets using simple and easily accessible weapons. Since 2020, ISD has detained five self-radicalised youths who wanted to carry out attacks in Singapore using such weapons1. Such attacks require little time and preparation to execute. The youth was determined to follow through with his attack plan and was less than a month away from executing it at the time of his arrest.
11. It is important that we remain vigilant to signs that someone around us may have become radicalised. Family members and friends are best placed to notice changes in behaviour and alert the authorities if they suspect their loved ones have been radicalised. Doing so would prevent these individuals from engaging in violence and harming themselves and others.
12. Possible signs of radicalisation include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Frequently surfing radical websites;
b. Posting/sharing extremist views on social media platforms, such as expressing support/admiration for terrorists/terrorist groups as well as the use of violence;
c. Sharing extremist views with friends and relatives;
d. Making remarks that promote ill-will or hatred towards people of other races, religions or communities;
e. Expressing intent to participate in acts of violence overseas or in Singapore; and/or
f. Inciting others to participate in acts of violence.
13. Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should promptly contact the ISD hotline 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD).
INTERNAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT
18 OCTOBER 2024
[1] Apart from this youth, the other four cases are:
a) A then 16-year-old youth, who was detained in December 2020. He was inspired by far-right extremist ideology and planned to attack Muslims at two mosques in Singapore using a machete;
b) A then 20-year-old youth, who was detained in March 2021. Angered by the Israel-Palestine conflict, he planned to conduct knife attacks against Jews at the Maghain Aboth Synagogue in Singapore;
c) A then 18-year-old youth, who was detained in December 2022. He was an ISIS supporter whose plans include stabbing and killing “disbelievers” by ambushing them in dark alleys; and
d) A then 15-year-old youth who was detained in December 2022. He had considered conducting knife attacks to behead non-Muslims in popular tourist areas in Singapore.
Annex A
Excerpts of the youth’s bai’ah to ISIS’s spokesperson
“Henceforth, I am proud to declare that our esteemed brother, the embodiment of piety and resolve, Abu Hudhayfa Al-Ansari has been appointed as the Emir… He shall be known as Shaykh al-Mujahidin, the leader of the faithful warriors in our righteous cause. Let us all join together in welcoming our new leader, Shaykh al-Mujahidin, and pledge our unwavering allegiance to him and to the cause for which we strive. May Allah grant him wisdom, strength, and steadfastness in leading us towards victory. With unity, determination, and the blessings of Allah, we shall continue our struggle until justice and righteousness reign supreme in the land of Singapore. It is a jihad of victory or martyrdom”
Note: “Abu Hudhayfa Al-Ansari” refers to the ISIS spokesperson Abu Hudhayfah Al-Ansari, who is also known as Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari.
Annex B
Photos of the area where the 17-year-old planned to conduct his attack
Note: The photos were taken by ISD and confirmed by the youth to be his attack location. The location is the open space between Block 826 and 828 at Tampines Street 81.
Annex C
Photos of the knife or scissors which the youth intended to use to stab non-Muslim male adults in the neck
Annex D
Excerpts of the youths's declaration of armed jihad which he intended to release prior to his attack.
“Our beloved land of Singapore has become a battleground, torn apart by the forces of oppression and tyranny. The time has come for us to rise and reclaim what is rightfully ours. For too long, we have endured the yoke of oppression, subjected to the whims of tyrants who seek to extinguish the light of Islam from our midst. But I say unto you, my brothers and sisters, that the time for our patience and endurance has come to an end. It is time for us to take up arms and defend our faith, our honor, and our land. Today, I declare a Jihad, a holy struggle against the forces of tyranny and injustice that seek to oppress us. We shall fight with courage and determination, knowing that victory is assured to those who remain steadfast in their faith and their cause.”
“Let it be known to all who oppose us that we shall not rest until the flag of Islam flies high over every inch of our beloved land. But our struggle does not end at the borders of Singapore. I call upon our Muslim brothers and sisters in the surrounding countries to heed the call of Jihad and come to our aid.”
