Singapore Detains Teen Planning Mosque Attacks, Expressing Extremist Ideologies

Singaporean authorities have detained two teenagers under the Internal Security Act due to their connections with extremist ideologies. A 17-year-old boy, inspired by the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, planned to attack five mosques and aimed to kill at least 100 Muslims, while a 15-year-old girl sought to support ISIS and expressed desires to fight in Syria. Both individuals were self-radicalized and had no prior contact with each other, although the boy was linked to another detained extremist, Nick Lee. The Internal Security Department (ISD) highlighted a concerning trend of increasing radicalization among youth in Singapore, particularly in far-right ideologies. Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam emphasized the need for vigilance against such extremism and the potential for real-world violence. The detentions reflect ongoing efforts in Singapore to address rising radicalization linked to online extremist content.