SINGAPORE – 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.
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