SINGAPORE: A 14-year-old boy was issued a restriction order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in June after he was radicalised due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Monday (Jul 15).
The boy is the youngest person to be issued with an ISA order. He aspired to fight for the Black Flag Army (BFA) and considered carrying out attacks in Singapore.
A 33-year-old woman, who is a former manager with a statutory board, was also issued an ISA restriction order in July.
An’nadya binte An’nahari “staunchly supported” the Axis of Resistance – a network of militant and terrorist organisations including Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades (AQB), Hezbollah and the Houthis – and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews, said ISD.
She was an employee with the statutory board at the point of the investigation and is no longer employed there. An’nadya is the second public servant to be issued with an ISA order.
A person issued with a restriction order must abide by several conditions. For example, they are not allowed to change their residence or employment, or travel out of Singapore without the approval of the Director ISD.
They also cannot use the internet or social media, issue public statements or address public meetings without such approval.
YOUNGEST ISA CASE
The 14-year-old boy’s radicalisation was triggered by the Oct 7, 2023 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel.
This radicalisation process occurred within a “short span of months” after extensively viewing pro-Hamas content and news online.
By January, the Secondary 3 student regarded Palestinian militant groups like Hamas, AQB and Al-Quds Brigades as “legitimate defenders of Palestine” and was supportive of their violent acts, said the ISD.
He also believed that the Oct 7 attacks were justified and that all “Zionists” were enemies to be killed. Over time, he became convinced that it was his obligation as a Muslim to fight for the BFA and to die as a martyr.
The boy began adhering strictly to segregationist beliefs, such as holding the view that celebrating birthdays and talking to female classmates were forbidden under Islamic law.
He also took steps to prepare himself physically to fight for the BFA, said ISD.
The boy planned to save money by working part-time to fund his travel to Afghanistan, where he believed the BFA would emerge. He was resolved to join the BFA even if the authorities or his family tried to stop him.
“The youth tried, unsuccessfully, to radicalise several schoolmates. The youth wanted to recruit them to fight with him alongside the BFA, and to help him carry out his attack aspirations,” said the ISD.
He started an online chat group and invited six schoolmates to join.
Sharing videos and links on armed violence, he also posted in the chat group videos of himself as a terrorist fighter.
“In these videos, which were inspired by his admiration for Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida, the youth warned against trusting non-Muslims and spoke about the virtues of dying righteously as a martyr for Islam,” said ISD.
If he could not travel to join the BFA, he was willing to conduct attacks in Singapore on the BFA’s instructions.
He had hoped to expand the membership of his chat group to between 60 and 100 people, and then conduct attacks against non-Muslim communities during festivals such as Chinese New Year, Christmas and Deepavali.
“He hoped such attacks would instil fear among non-Muslims, to deter them from such ‘un-Islamic’ festivities, and facilitate the establishment of an Islamic state in Singapore,” said the ISD.
Investigations have so far shown that the youth acted alone and was unsuccessful in radicalising or recruiting his schoolmates.
“While his family members were unaware of his radicalisation, his parents had noticed expressions of the youth’s increasingly segregationist beliefs, but did not think they warranted intervention and assistance,” said ISD.
The boy will undergo religious counselling by the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) to address the religious misperceptions that have contributed to his violent and extremist ideology.
He will also receive psychological counselling by an ISD psychologist to “address the non-ideological factors that rendered him vulnerable to radicalisation”.
“Given his young age, he will be assigned with an RRG mentor. ISD officers will also be working closely with the youth’s family and school to ensure that he has adequate support to stay on track with his rehabilitation, and that his studies will not be disrupted,” said the authority.
