Terrorism threat in Singapore elevated since Israel-Hamas conflict: ISD
THE terrorism threat in Singapore has increased since the Israel-Hamas war, with the conflict seeing more acts of violence worldwide, which has affected the Republic.
In its annual report on terrorism released on Thursday (July 25), Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) said terrorist elements have used the conflict to further their agenda.
It said there has been more anti-Singapore rhetoric on social media from regional extremist elements, with some regional netizens perceiving Singapore to be pro-Israel.
The agency added while there is no indication of an imminent threat to Singapore, vigilance is required.
ISD said some regional extremist elements took issue with Singapore’s contribution to Operation Prosperity Guardian.
The operation is an international maritime security force formed to respond to attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels against shipping in the Red Sea.
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From January to June 2024, the Singapore Armed Forces sent 12 personnel to help with information sharing and operations planning under this operation.
Following this, ISD said there were social media posts urging attacks against Singapore using bombs and rockets, and calling for the Republic to be destroyed and wiped out.
The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Israel responded with airstrikes and an invasion of Gaza.
So far, more than 40,000 people have died.
In March, US intelligence assessed the war will likely have a generational impact on terrorism.
ISD said the conflict has sparked hate crimes and religiously-motivated attacks globally.
Self-radicalisation a key threat domestically
ISD said that in Singapore, self-radicalisation has continued to be the primary threat driver.
A total of 52 self-radicalised individuals, including 40 Singaporeans, have been issued with orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 2015. They include 13 Singaporeans aged 20 or younger.
Since July 2023, three new self-radicalisation cases have been dealt with under the ISA.
They involved two boys aged 14 and 16, and a 33-year-old Singaporean woman, who were all issued with restriction orders.
The 14-year-old Secondary 3 student is the youngest person to be issued a restriction order under the ISA in Singapore.
He had considered carrying out attacks in Singapore, and started an online chat group, hoping to recruit 60 to 100 people. He also tried to radicalise his schoolmates but failed.
The ISD said his parents had noticed he was increasingly expressing segregationist beliefs, but did not think this warranted intervention and assistance.
The 33-year-old, ex-public servant An’nadya An’nahari, supported the Axis of Resistance, a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organisations, including Hamas and the Houthis, and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews.
ISD said the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict triggered the radicalisation of these two cases, underscoring the risk that foreign extremist narratives can pose to Singapore’s national security and social harmony.
The agency added that these cases showed that anyone, no matter their age, gender, religion or profession, can be susceptible to radicalisation.
Such radicalisation can take place in a short span of months.
These cases also showed that young people in Singapore are vulnerable to online radicalisation by a variety of extremist ideologies, such as Islamist extremism and far-right extremism (FRE).
Far-right extremism a growing concern
ISD said FRE is a fast-evolving security threat, encompassing a wide range of beliefs that are often exclusivist.
It also advocates violence as a means to safeguard ethnic purity or achieve political objectives, and is a rising security concern particularly for Western countries.
In its February 2024 report, US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that violent FRE ideologies had become more prominent globally, with FRE posing the most pressing terrorism threat in the US, Canada, and Europe.
ISD said apart from encouraging individuals to engage in violence, such narratives also run the risk of polarising communities and deepening societal fault lines.
The agency said youths are particularly susceptible and may gravitate toward the sense of belonging and identity that far-right movements appear to provide.
The ISD said they have detected two cases of local youth being self-radicalised by FRE, the most recent being the 16-year-old boy, who was issued a restriction order in November 2023.
ISD added even though he was of Chinese ethnicity, he had identified as a white supremacist, and aspired to conduct attacks overseas to further the white supremacist cause. He wanted to commit a mass shooting in the US in 10 years’ time.
The ISD said his case mirrored a global trend: the growing participation of non-whites in FRE and white supremacist movements.
Terrorism financing
Despite the increasing use of cryptocurrencies, the predominant means for financial transactions by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its affiliates remain cash couriers and informal value transfer systems, said ISD.
In Singapore, the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act (TSOFA) criminalises the act of providing money for terrorist purposes.
Since 2015, there have been 13 convictions under TSOFA – three Singaporeans and 10 foreigners.
These cases involved funds being collected or raised in Singapore and transferred, or was about to be moved, in support of terrorists and terrorist activities abroad.
Even though there were no prosecutions of terrorism financing offences in Singapore in the past 12 months, the country remains a potential source of funds for terrorists and terrorist organisations abroad, said ISD.
This is because Singapore is a global financial centre and transport hub with a significant migrant workforce.
ISD said the Israel-Hamas conflict has been exploited by terror elements for terrorism financing purposes.
Charities and non-governmental organisations have reportedly been among the vehicles commonly used by Hamas networks to collect funds for the group globally, said the agency.
There were reports of Hamas receiving US$8 to US$12 million (S$10.7 to S$16 million) a month through front charities. Hamas officials have also publicly called for donations, and termed such donations as financial jihad.
The ISD said Singaporeans need to be vigilant about the avenues where they donate aid through.
It added those hoping to donate should do so through charities such as the Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.
Attacks triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict
1. On October 14, 2023, a six-year-old Muslim Palestinian boy and his mother were stabbed in their home in Illinois, US, by their landlord. The mother, who suffered multiple stab wounds to her chest and torso, survived the attack, but her son died in hospital. The landlord was charged with murder and hate crimes as he targeted the victims because of their religion, and in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
2. Three male college students of Palestinian descent, who were speaking Arabic and wearing the keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, were shot on Nov 23, 2023, while walking in Vermont, US. They survived, and the gunman was charged with attempted murder.
3. On Jan 23, 2024, a gunman fired shots and threw a homemade Molotov cocktail in Edmonton City Hall in Canada. In a pre-recorded video, the man said his aim was to rise against leaders “responsible for the genocide in Gaza”. He was arrested and faces terrorism charges.
4. A gunman took seven staff members in a US company factory in north-western Turkey as hostages on Feb 1, 2024, to protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. During the nine-hour standoff, he demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and the opening of aid routes, before Turkish police arrested him and rescued the hostages.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline on 1800-2626-473. THE STRAITS TIMES
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