Singapore steps up security in response to the foiled rocket attack from nearby island of Indonesia.
Indonesian police arrested six suspected militants on Friday who they believed are affiliates of the Islamic State (IS) group and plotting a rocket attack on Singapore.
Indonesian police spokesman Agus Rianto said the six suspects in Batam Island, 15 km the south of the wealthy city-state, had been plotting with a member of the Islamic State militant group in Syria to attack Singapore, a major commercial, banking and travel hub that is home to many Western expatriates.
“What we understand so far is that they were planning to attack vital objects, busy areas including police offices,” Rianto said.
The six arrested were suspected of having links to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian fighting with Islamic State in Syria, police said.
Indonesian investigators believe that Naim was one of the masterminds behind an attack in January in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, in which eight people were killed including the four attackers.
“There’s a link to Bahrun Naim because there was communication with Bahrun Naim – but whether they were affiliated with Bahrun Naim’s group or not – this is what we’re investigating now,” Rianto said.
The six suspects were mostly factory workers aged between 19 and 46.
Singapore, which is celebrating its National Day holiday next week, said it is not surprised by the arrests.
“We were aware of the plans being made to attack us with rockets,” Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in a statement.
He did not elaborate on what type of rockets the plotters planned to use or what evidence for the plan had been uncovered.
“The attacks can come from terrorists who seek to come into Singapore; and they can come from terrorists who locate themselves just outside Singapore. Our small size increases these risks,” he said.
Batam Island is linked to Singapore by frequent ferries and its beach resorts and golf courses are a popular weekend getaway destination.