17-year-old ISIS supporter held for planned attack on non-Muslims in Singapore

Singapore has detained a 17-year-old youth under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after he plotted to attack non-Muslim males in a public housing estate, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Friday.

The self-radicalised teen, who was influenced by extremist propaganda from the Islamic State (ISIS), was arrested in August, just weeks before his intended attack. He had planned to use household items, such as a kitchen knife or scissors, as weapons, according to the ISD’s press release.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam described the incident as a "very close shave."

"I would say this is one of the cases where it was quite close, fairly close," Shanmugam said, referring to the short timeframe between the teenager’s arrest and his planned attack.

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The youth had selected a location near Tampines West Community Centre for the attack, a densely populated area that includes shopping malls and recreational facilities, making it even busier during school holidays. Shanmugam noted the area attracts thousands of people daily, including children and the elderly.

He was issued a two-year detention order in September, according to local media.

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The department revealed that the teen had taken "concrete steps" towards executing his plan, which included conducting a walkthrough of the route he would take from his home to the targeted site. He also practised stabbing motions using scissors to "maximise damage" on his intended victims, focusing on vulnerable areas like the neck, the ISD said.

"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," the release said.

Influenced by ISIS propaganda

The youth was reportedly influenced by ISIS propaganda and radical teachings that he encountered online. The ISD said he became exposed to extremist content in mid-2023 while searching for religious knowledge on the internet. He subsequently began following radical preachers and joined online forums associated with ISIS, where he absorbed violent narratives about jihad and martyrdom.

His radicalisation intensified after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, which prompted a surge in extremist materials from groups like ISIS, capitalising on the conflict to promote their ideologies. By January, the youth had committed to becoming a “martyr” for the Islamic State.

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In May, he pledged allegiance to ISIS, viewing himself as a full member and expressing a willingness to carry out attacks on their behalf, according to the ISD.

This case marks the fifth instance since 2020 of self-radicalised youths in Singapore being detained under the ISA for plotting attacks.

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