Youngest self-radicalised Singaporean and 33-yr-old former public servant issued restriction order under ISA

A 14-year-old Secondary three student has become the youngest self-radicalised individual to be issued a restriction order under Singapore's Internal Security Act (ISA).

The Internal Security Department (ISD) announced on 15 July that the unidentified boy is among two Singaporeans who have been issued restriction orders in the past two months.

The other individual, An’nadya An’nahari, 33, was a manager with a statutory board at the time of investigation.

According to the ISD, both individuals were radicalised online independently from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths. Israel's subsequent retaliatory attacks in Gaza have killed more than 38,000 people.

The ISD stated that the 14-year-old boy aspired to join the Black Flag Army (BFA), a prophesied Muslim army believed to engage in a final battle with non-believers during the end times. He allegedly considered executing attacks in Singapore and created an online chat group to recruit 60 to 100 people. The ISD noted that his attempts to radicalise his schoolmates were unsuccessful.

Speaking to the media, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam expressed concern over the case, highlighting the rapid radicalisation of the young boy and his contemplation of attacking non-Muslims in Singapore during festivals such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Deepavali.

The boy's parents had noticed his growing segregationist beliefs but did not deem them serious enough to warrant intervention. Meanwhile, the ISD stated that the 33-year-old An’nadya staunchly supported the Axis of Resistance (AOR), a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organisations including Hamas and the Houthis, and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews.

Both individuals, now under restriction orders, face stringent limitations on their activities. They cannot change their residence or employment, travel out of Singapore, access the internet or social media, issue public statements, address public meetings, or contribute to any publication without prior ISD approval.

Minister Shanmugam emphasized the distinction between sympathizing with the Palestinian cause and supporting terrorism, stating that action was taken against the two individuals due to their support for armed violence.

The ISD claimed that the boy's radicalisation was triggered by Hamas' 7 October terrorist attacks against Israel and occurred after he extensively viewed online pro-Hamas content. By January 2024, he had begun to see Palestinian militant groups as legitimate defenders of Palestine and supported their violent actions.

Believing in the imminence of the end times, the youth reportedly felt it was his duty to fight for the BFA and die as a martyr. He allegedly prepared physically and planned to work part-time to save money for travel to Afghanistan, where he believed the BFA would emerge.

The ISD also claimed that the boy's radicalisation efforts included inviting schoolmates to join an online chat group where he shared violent content and videos of himself as a terrorist fighter.

Investigations, according to the ISD, confirmed that the youth acted alone. As part of his rehabilitation, he will receive religious counselling from the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) to address his religious misperceptions, psychological counselling from an ISD psychologist, and mentoring from an RRG member.

The ISD underscored that youth are increasingly susceptible to online radicalisation, noting that since 2015, 13 radicalised youths aged 20 and below have been dealt with under the ISA. The department stressed the importance of vigilance against extremist narratives and encouraged anyone who suspects radicalisation to contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline.

Meanwhile, the ISD stated that 33-year-old An’nadya staunchly supported the Axis of Resistance (AOR), a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organizations including Hamas and the Houthis, and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews.

An’nadya An’nahari had attracted security interest back in May 2021, said the ISD on 15 July. She did not exhibit radical inclinations then and deleted her online posts when advised to. However, An’nadya came to attention again in April 2024 for her online activities, which included threats to attack and kill Israelis, the ISD said.

She was advised in 2021 to be mindful of her social media activities but did not heed it, the ISD added. “Instead, she escalated her online activities to the point of participating in radicalisation.”

At one point, she even became an administrator of a social media channel that supported causes of the Axis of Resistance (AOR), a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organizations and their military operations, it stated.

The ISD stated that she was aware her online activities and support for the AOR were illegal, which is why she did not disclose her extremist activities and views to her colleagues at the statutory board.

While the ISD did not disclose the name of the statutory board where she was employed, they said she is no longer working there.