SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old — the first known self-radicalised Singaporean to have intentions of carrying out violent attacks here — has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) while a 17-year-old was also arrested under the Act for further investigations into his radicalisation.

M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’i, a post-secondary student who has been detained since April, had hoped to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). According to the authorities, he revealed that he would carry out attacks in public places in Singapore if he was unable to go to Syria, even going to the extent of trying to recruit others to help him.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Arifil started becoming supportive of the radical ideology and violent tactics adopted by ISIS, after viewing terrorist propaganda online in 2013.

… Dr Bilveer Singh, an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, described these efforts as a “battle for hearts and minds”, which would include discrediting ISIS’ ideology and promoting the correct concept of Islam.

Ms Nur Irfani Saripi, an Associate Research Fellow at RSIS’ International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, added that social media is a powerful tool that can be used to counter ISIS’ propaganda.