Arrest of Individuals Linked to ISIS on Suspicion of Planning Attack on Singapore

The Indonesian government announced on Friday, August 5, that six individuals have been arrested on suspicion of planning an attack on Singapore, on the island of Batam, located 15 kilometers south of the country. Reports indicate that these individuals are linked to the Islamic State group, or ISIS. The suspects, aged between 19 and 46, have not yet been identified, and local officials stated that investigations are ongoing. The leader of this six-member group has been identified as a 31-year-old worker named Gigi Rahmat Dewa, known by the abbreviation 'J.R.D.' According to Reuters, Indonesian police stated that the suspects were in contact with members of ISIS in Syria and were in the process of planning an attack on Singapore. The report mentions that weapons were discovered at the suspects' residence, and their targets included tourist areas, ports, and police offices in Singapore. Indonesian police also announced that an individual named 'Bahron Na'im' had ordered these attacks. Bahron Na'im is an Indonesian citizen who is reportedly currently affiliated with ISIS in Syria. Some reports suggest that the suspects were planning to use rockets in their attack on Singapore, but local police stated that no evidence has yet been found in this regard. Some security analysts have said that if the planning of a missile attack on Singapore is confirmed, it is likely that Southeast Asian militants are preparing for more complex attacks. Meanwhile, following the arrest of the six individuals suspected of planning attacks on Singapore, the police in that country announced that they have implemented increased security measures. Officials from Indonesia and Malaysia say that dozens of citizens from these two countries have gone to the Middle East to join ISIS, and it is suspected that they may collaborate with Bahron Na'im and other ISIS leaders to carry out attacks in these two countries. Indonesian officials identify Bahron Na'im as one of the planners of the January attack in Jakarta. During several suicide bombings in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, on January 14, eight people, including four attackers, were killed and several others were injured. ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly Jakarta attacks. The majority of Indonesia's population is Muslim, and several extremist Islamist groups operate in the country, which have previously carried out armed attacks within its borders.