Singapore Detains Teenager Plotting Terrorist Attack Under Internal Security Act
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Salma Hossein
- . October 18, 2024
- . Update: October 18, 2024 9:22 pm
The Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore shockingly announced the detention of a 17-year-old young man intending a terror attack against non-Muslims. Arrested in August 2024, just one week before his planned attack, the teenager was radicalized from Islamic State (ISIS) extreme propaganda. The Friday statement from the ISD claims that his intention was to target a public housing complex with kitchen knives or scissors from home weaponry.
Renowned for relative peace and stability, Singapore has been rattled by this incident and stresses the growing threat posed by internet radicals. The arrest of the teenager halted what might have been a horrible act of terrorism directly on home territory. The story reminds us clearly that even in a well controlled society like Singapore, the threat of extremism and terrorism may still find roots especially given the broad reach of internet information.
Close Call in Public Safety
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam described the thwarted attempt as a “very close shave,” worried about how closely the authorities were able to prevent a potential disaster. “I would say this is one of the cases where it was quite close, fairly close,” Shanmugam added, referencing the fleeting window of time between the young man’s incarceration and his intended attack. Such incidents also serve as a sobering reminder of the continuous awareness needed to protect the public against extreme threats, he said.
