Terrorist threat in Singapore remains high, fuelled by Middle East conflicts: ISD
Wong Man Shun
The Straits Times
Sept 10, 2026
A volatile global security environment fuelled by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East is contributing to the high terrorism threat facing Singapore, said the Internal Security Department (ISD).
In its annual terrorism report on Sept 10, the ISD said terrorist and extremist groups have exploited the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the US and Israel conflict with Iran, to spread propaganda and incite their supporters to mount attacks against their perceived enemies.
The report noted that tensions in the Middle East have contributed to growing hostilities between communities, and anti-Semitism has surged in many parts of the world.
Meanwhile, anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobia have also intensified.
The conflicts have in part contributed to an increase in youth radicalisation cases dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
ISD said that youth radicalisation is a pressing concern, with the number of cases involving young people in the past five years almost quadrupling from four cases between 2017 and 2021 to 15 cases since 2022.
Three of the young people detained between April and June 2026, aged between 14 and 19, had formulated local attack plans, and were close to executing them.
Beyond detecting and disrupting security threats, ISD said extensive efforts go into rehabilitating and reintegrating radicalised individuals into society.
It said that since 2002, more than 80 per cent of Singaporeans detained under the ISA have been released after making good progress in their rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, ISD said the threat posed by global Islamist terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has persisted.
Although there is currently no specific intelligence of an imminent terrorist attack against Singapore, the report said the Republic is an attractive target because of its perceived friendly ties with Western nations, including the US and Israel, the presence of iconic landmarks, and its status as a secular and multicultural society.
ISD also flagged other concerns in the report, including the potential return of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) to South-east Asia.
The fighters include 308 individuals, claiming to be Indonesian escapees from the Al-Hol camp in Syria, who reported to the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus.
“The potential return of such FTFs to South-east Asia, especially if undetected, would heighten the terrorism threat as they could plot attacks, impart operational know-how or inspire others,” said ISD.
The report also flagged concerns about former prisoners with Hamas links and militant experience resettling in Malaysia.
“As part of the ceasefire agreement and the Gaza Peace Plan in January and October 2025, thousands of Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails, with many resettled in third countries.
“Among them were 15 ex-prisoners with Hamas links and militant experience who resettled in Malaysia,” said ISD.
It added that it is possible that more former prisoners with dangerous antecedents could similarly relocate to South-east Asia, which would present security risks to the region.
“These developments are of concern, given Hamas operatives’ previous attempts to use South-east Asia as a base for recruitment and attack planning against Israeli targets in the region,” said ISD.
Self-radicalised
Since its last report in July 2025, ISD said it has dealt with eight Singaporeans under the ISA, seven of whom were self-radicalised males aged 14 to 30.
The eighth case involved 30-year-old Muhammad Jihadul Mustaqiim Mahmud, who was issued a restriction order for his intention to engage in politically motivated violence overseas. He was not assessed to be radicalised at the point of ISD’s investigation.
The report noted that ISIS’ terrorist propaganda, which is easily accessible online, continues to radicalise Singaporeans.
Among the eight dealt with under the ISA, five were ISIS supporters. They were all under the age of 21 and were first exposed to pro-ISIS materials on social media platforms.
Three of the eight were radicalised by the re-escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, said ISD.
Two of them were Hamas supporters and three of them subscribed to multiple, sometimes conflicting, extremist ideologies.
The report said those getting radicalised are also getting younger.
The youngest person to have been detained under the ISA to date was a 14-year-old youth who supported ISIS and held far-right extremist ideologies. The Secondary 2 student was detained in June 2026 after drafting a 21-page manifesto detailing his plan to conduct a stabbing attack against non-Muslim teachers and students at his school.
Another youth, aged 15, was detained in April after he made preparations to establish an Islamic caliphate in South-east Asia through violent means as he was unable to join ISIS in Syria, said ISD.
He wanted to conduct an attack in Singapore in support of ISIS using “pressure cooker” bombs after watching an online video on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
ISD said it has come across terminology and slang associated with online incel culture when dealing with the eight males. Incel is short for involuntary celibate, which refers to a subculture of individuals, mostly men, who identify as being unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite wanting one.
Incel is a subset of the “manosphere”, ISD said, referring to the online network of communities centred on male supremacism, anti-feminism and grievance-based views about gender.
ISD said family members, friends and others in the community play an important role in recognising and reporting early signs of radicalisation.
It added that the majority of the self-radicalised youth showed signs of radicalisation to those around them, such as sharing their extremist views and pro-ISIS content with their family and friends.
Online platforms have also enabled extremist content to spread rapidly, accelerating the radicalisation process, said ISD.
“Online gaming platforms, in particular, have featured in several recent youth radicalisation cases in Singapore. The youth have used online games to simulate terrorist attacks or mass shootings,” it added.
This can normalise their attitudes towards violence and reinforce their fascination with violent perpetrators.
A Secondary 3 student was issued a restriction order in November 2025 after he recreated ISIS-style attacks and executions on Gorebox, a sandbox game which allows players to simulate violent scenarios.
The 14-year-old created videos using footage from his online gameplay to show his support for ISIS.
Counter-terrorism
Singapore uses a whole-of-society approach to counter terrorism and violent extremism, said ISD.
It is expanding its outreach to more sectors and community touchpoints. In 2025, ISD organised 67 workshops for more than 2,500 participants in the youth sector, including student leaders and educators.
To address the extremist content online, ISD works with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to identify and restrict access to online content that promotes terrorism and radicalisation or incites violence. It does so through measures under the Online Criminal Harms Act.
In May, SPF unveiled unmanned drones which can provide real-time aerial coverage and AI-assisted tracking. SPF expects to deploy more than 200,000 police cameras across Singapore by the mid-2030s to significantly bolster public safety and security.
Since 2002, ISD has issued ISA orders against 156 Singaporeans for terrorism-related conduct. Of these, 106 were issued orders of detention, while 50 were issued restriction orders.
Of those detained, about four out of five had made good progress in their rehabilitation, leading to 87 of them being released. Of those issued with restriction orders, 40 have had their orders lapse.
ISD emphasised the importance of knowing the signs of radicalisation, so that people may report at-risk individuals early.
Some of these signs include frequent surfing of radical websites, expressing support or admiration for terrorists on social media, an interest in extreme violence and gore, and making remarks that promote ill will or hatred towards people of other races, religions or communities.
It said public vigilance and early reporting is critical to detecting radicalised individuals before they act, adding that members of the public should report to ISD if they suspect that someone close to them might be radicalised.
“Doing so allows the individual to receive the timely help they need and keeps society safe. It is important not to dismiss or overlook signs of radicalisation, even when there is uncertainty about how serious they may be,” said ISD.
Members of the public are encouraged to take part in the SGSecure movement and learn how to spot suspicious behaviours and signs of radicalisation, and how to respond if caught in a terror attack.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should call the ISD hotline on 1800-2626-473 or e-mail isd@mha.gov.sg
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