The ISD has warned that it’s going to take agency motion in opposition to these planning to have interaction in armed violence in Singapore or overseas.
He was responding to CNA’s query final week about whether or not terrorist teams might reap the benefits of the present scenario in Syria to increase their attain, together with into Southeast Asia and Singapore.
On December 8, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels took management of the capital Damascus and different main Syrian cities. After midnight, information emerged that Assad had fled the nation for Russia.
The fall of Assad marked the start of the top of Syria’s 13-year battle, which left greater than 580,000 folks lifeless and displaced one other 12 million.
HTS denies it nonetheless has ties to a terrorist community, however many nations and the United Nations Security Council have continued to designate the group as a terrorist group.
In the wake of Assad’s ouster, analysts instructed CNA that Southeast Asian authorities should be vigilant.
That stated, some specialists imagine the danger of a brand new wave of extremism in Southeast Asia is at present comparatively low.
The ISD has warned that it’s going to take motion in opposition to these planning to have interaction in armed violence in Singapore or overseas.
“We won’t hesitate to take agency motion in opposition to anybody who advocates, promotes, engages in or prepares to have interaction in gun violence, whether or not in Singapore or overseas,” a spokesperson stated.
In the previous, the ISD has arrested radicalized Singaporeans planning to journey to Syria to have interaction in armed violence.
In October, a 17-year-old Singaporean scholar was arrested lower than a month earlier than he deliberate to launch a terrorist assault within the coronary heart of Singapore. The teenager additionally supposed to journey to Syria to affix the Islamic State and have interaction in armed violence.
In July, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Ok Shanmugam stated two Singaporeans had been issued restraining orders for supporting terrorism and gun violence. They turned radicalized after Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
One was a 14-year-old boy – the youngest individual within the nation to be issued a restraining order underneath the Internal Security Act (ISA) – whereas the opposite was a 33-year-old girl who was a supervisor with a statutory mandate. axis.
In February final 12 months, the ISD stated an 18-year-old Singaporean ISIS supporter was arrested in December 2022 after he thought-about attacking targets together with a army camp and a grave at a mosque in Singapore. The scholar additionally deliberate to journey overseas, together with Syria, to take part in armed violence.
Two different youngsters who had been the scholar’s on-line contacts additionally acquired ISA orders for terrorism-related exercise.
The ISD urged residents to look out for indicators that folks round them might have turn into radicalized and to report them to the authorities. Possible indicators of radicalization embody posting or sharing extremist views on social media and expressing assist or admiration for terrorists or terrorist teams, in addition to using violence.
Anyone who is aware of or suspects that an individual has been radicalized ought to contact the ISD hotline on 1800 2626 473 (1800-2626-ISD), the spokesperson added.
