A 17-year-old Singaporean was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) just weeks before executing a terror attack, according to the Internal Security Department (ISD). The teenager, described as a staunch supporter of the Islamic State (IS), intended to target non-Muslim males near Tampines West Community Centre during the September school holidays. His planned weapons were a kitchen knife or scissors, which he practiced using to inflict maximum damage, specifically by aiming for the neck.
The youth had made "concrete preparations" for the attack, including a walkthrough of the route he would take. He was determined to be killed during the attack, either by police or passers-by, as he sought martyrdom. The ISD reported that he felt pride in potentially carrying out Singapore’s first terror attack in recent decades.
Radicalisation began in August 2023, when the teen accessed teachings from foreign preachers while searching for religious knowledge online. He soon began subscribing to extremist views, including the belief that Muslims should avoid non-Muslims. Following the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023, he was further influenced by IS propaganda, which glorified violence and suicide knife attacks. By January 2024, he aspired to die as a martyr for IS, and by May, he had pledged allegiance to the group.
Prior to his planned attack in Singapore, the youth had considered traveling to Syria to join IS and engage in combat. He reached out to a contact in Syria for guidance and researched flight routes. Though he disapproved of Singapore’s National Service (NS), he considered NS as an opportunity to acquire military skills that could aid him in fighting for IS in Syria.
Ultimately, the youth chose to plan an attack in Singapore, deeming it more feasible than traveling to Syria. He was arrested in August, and in September, was issued a two-year detention order under the ISA.
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