Singapore and Australia have vowed to enhance intelligence sharing in the face of growing fears about the threat posed by citizens returning home after fighting in Syria and Iraq.

At a joint press conference in Singapore on August 22 with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the two sides warned of the rising risk posed by the returning fighters who are radicalised and have developed sophisticated skills to carry out terror attacks.

In this context of counter-terrorism and counter radicalisation, the two countries could exchange more information, Minister Ng Eng Hen stressed.

For her part, Julie Bishop said Canberra is also in discussions with its partners in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines as this is not an issue that is isolated.

According to Assistant to Australia’s Defence Minister Stuart Robert, the enhanced information sharing with Singapore will cover the areas of terrorism, extremism, foreign fighters and the growth of home-grown extremism.-VNA