Authorities in Singapore revealed on Thursday that three local men had been arrested for planning to travel to the Middle East to join the fight against Israel, following the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.
One of the men reportedly expressed willingness to carry out attacks within Singapore if instructed to do so.
According to a statement from Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry, the suspects were radicalized online and had no connections to one another. However, the timing of the arrests' disclosure remains unclear. All three were detained under Singapore’s Internal Security Act, which permits extended detention without trial.
Among the suspects is Muhammad Indra Akmal Afandi, a 21-year-old elevator mechanic, who had searched online for locations offering firearms training. Afandi pledged allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and stated his readiness to execute "any order," including potential attacks in Singapore, though no specific plans were identified.
Another suspect, 41-year-old Muhammad Latiff Rahim, a manager at a digital marketing firm, had previously demonstrated support for Iran and visited a shooting range in Bangkok in September 2022 to familiarize himself with firearms.
The arrests underscore concerns about online radicalization and the potential for international conflicts to inspire extremist actions domestically.
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