Singapore's Defense Minister says his nation faces trans-national terrorist threats

Singapore faces its highest terrorism threat level since the beginning of the millennium, Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said.

"There are no signs to indicate that this will abate. This is a long-term problem, and we have to deal with it as a long-term problem," he said ahead of the country’s armed forces day on July 1.

Citing recent terrorism incidents including last month's suicide bombings, which killed 13 people in Indonesia, he pointed out to what he described as an increased terrorism threat.  

Southeast Asian governments have for years highlighted the risk from returning fighters from Syria and Iraq.

He added there was also a greater need for regional and international partnerships to deal with trans-national terrorist threats.