Post by : Badri Ariffin

Three self-radicalised Singaporean males aged 14, 15 and 19 have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) over the past three months after planning separate attacks in Singapore, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam announced on July 27. While the cases were unrelated, authorities said all three youths had embraced violent extremist ideologies and intended to carry out attacks in Singapore before they were stopped.

According to the Internal Security Department (ISD), two of the teenagers planned attacks linked to educational institutions, with one arrested just weeks before he intended to carry out a mass stabbing at his secondary school during the June school holidays. Investigators said the three youths were at different stages of planning their attacks when they were detained.

Why Were the Three Teenagers Detained?

ISD said the teenagers had become self-radicalised through violent extremist material available online. The youths supported terrorist organisations or extremist ideologies and had identified weapons or attack methods to carry out violence in Singapore.

The 14-year-old Secondary 2 student supported ISIS, admired mass shooters and prepared a 21-page manifesto detailing his attack plan, including the weapons he intended to use and a list of targets that included non-Muslim teachers and students.

The second detainee, Tan Jun Jie, 19, planned knife attacks targeting Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel at Sembawang Air Base and LGBTQ students at the tertiary institution he attended. ISD also said he attempted to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattacks against websites of Muslim organisations that he considered deviant.

The third detainee, a 15-year-old Secondary 4 student, wanted to advance ISIS' cause by carrying out an attack in Singapore using pressure-cooker bombs. Although he had not decided on a specific target or timeline, investigators said he intended to cause mass civilian casualties in an urban area.

14-Year-Old Planned School Stabbing Attack

Authorities said the youngest detainee was arrested in May, around one month before his planned attack on his secondary school.

According to ISD, the teenager became interested in violent content after encountering first-person shooter games on the online gaming platform Roblox in 2024. He later searched for information about real-life school shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in the United States, and began identifying with mass shooters after claiming he had experienced bullying.

Investigators said the boy consumed violent videos, gore content and extremist propaganda recommended through social media algorithms and online channels. By late 2025, he had decided to launch a mass-casualty attack against non-Muslim teachers and schoolmates during the June 2026 school holidays.

He initially considered using firearms before abandoning the idea because of Singapore's strict gun laws. He later researched homemade bombs but dropped the plan due to financial and practical limitations before deciding to use knives found in his home. ISD said he also intended to livestream the attack and viewed it as a form of jihad before planning to take his own life afterwards.

19-Year-Old Planned Attacks on SAF Personnel and LGBTQ Students

ISD said Tan Jun Jie converted to Islam in 2022 after being introduced to the religion through social media. Authorities said he was later exposed to extremist teachings from foreign preachers, eventually becoming influenced by pro-ISIS propaganda.

By January 2026, Tan considered himself an ISIS member and believed he should carry out attacks if instructed by the terrorist group.

His planned targets included SAF personnel stationed at the entrance of Sembawang Air Base, whom he regarded as enemy combatants, as well as LGBTQ students studying at his tertiary institution. Authorities said Tan was arrested in April after people who knew him reported his extremist views.

15-Year-Old Wanted to Support ISIS Through Bomb Attack

The 15-year-old Secondary 4 student also supported terrorist organisations fighting against Israel, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, while intending to promote ISIS' objectives.

ISD said he searched online for instructions on making pressure-cooker bombs and envisioned carrying out an attack in a crowded urban location to cause a large number of civilian casualties. Although his family and friends knew about his extremist beliefs, none alerted the authorities.

Authorities Warn About Rising Youth Radicalisation

ISD said the three cases demonstrate the growing threat of youth radicalisation in Singapore. The department noted that all three youths had shown a strong determination to commit violence and had progressed to different stages of planning before being detained.

The agency also highlighted that more than half of the 23 youths dealt with under the ISA over the past decade had intended to launch attacks in Singapore, adding that radicalised individuals are becoming younger and increasingly relying on easily available weapons and online bomb-making information.

K. Shanmugam Urges Parents and Public to Stay Vigilant

Speaking after the cases were announced, K. Shanmugam said the 14-year-old had come dangerously close to carrying out his plans.

"He had gotten quite close to carrying out his plans. It is worrying, but every case is worrying," he said.

The minister stressed that security agencies must successfully prevent every potential attack, while a would-be attacker only needs to succeed once. He also noted that each of the three youths had openly shared extremist material with family members, friends or classmates, highlighting the importance of early reporting.

MHA Blocks Terrorism-Related Online Content

Separately, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that police had issued disabling directions against an online service provider and access-blocking orders to internet service providers to restrict terrorism-related videos and websites accessible in Singapore.

According to MHA, investigations established a direct link between such online content and previous self-radicalisation cases involving youths who consumed extremist propaganda or obtained information used in planning attacks.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said prevention, education and contingency planning remain essential in protecting young people from online radicalisation, while authorities urged parents, schools and the wider community to remain alert and report warning signs before extremist plans develop into acts of violence.

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