Indonesia: 6 arrested for plotting rocket attack on Singapore

Jakarta, Aug 6: Six suspected terrorists were arrested by the Indonesian police on Friday (Aug 5) over a plot to fire a rocket at a major resort and entertainment hub in Singapore from the nearby Batam island.

The security in the city-state was tightened as a result.

The anti-terror police detained the men, aged between 19 and 46, who are suspected to be members of the local terror group Katibah Gigih Rahmat and whose leader is accused of planning the attack with a prominent Indonesian militant who is now believed to have joined hands with the Islamic State in Syria.

The police said the plan was to attack Marina Bay, which is home to the luxurious Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore. It is the latest terror plot in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population and has seen a rise in attacks and attempts at implementing sinister designs because of the IS's growing influence.

The police, who were investigating the case, named Gigih Rahmat Dewa, the 31-year-old suspected leader of the group, AFP said.

Singaporean authorities, on the other hand, said the news did not surprise them as they were aware of plans about targeting Singapore with rockets.

"I have spoken several times, about plans being made in places just outside Singapore, to target Singapore -- we were serious about the threats," CNN quoted the city-state's Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam as saying.

Oneindia News