Militant detained in Singapore

Militant detained in Singapore

SINGAPORE: An Islamic militant has been detained under Singapore's
Internal Security Act (ISA), bringing the total now arrested
indefinitely for alleged terrorist links to 36, the government
said on Friday.

Mohammad Sharif bin Rahmat was detained for alleged links to
militant groups including Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), the home
ministry said.

Sharif, 35, had been undergoing physical training with the JI,
and was also found to be preparing for armed conflict during his
involvement with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant
group, it said.

Thirty-six people are now under indefinite detention in the
city-state for their links to groups such as JI and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the main separatist group in the
Philippines.

Under the ISA, detainees cases are reviewed every two years
and are only released when authorities ascertain that they no
longer pose a significant security threat.

In a related development, the ministry also announced the
release of Ali Ridhaa bin Abdullah, who had been involved in
operational reconnaissance work for the JI prior to his arrest.

Ali, a converted Muslim whose original name is Andrew Gerald,
was set free after responding positively to religious
counseling, a home affairs spokeswoman told AFP.

Seventeen others are under restriction orders that ban them
from leaving the country without permission, latest figures
provided by the ministry showed. --AFP