SINGAPORE - Singapore said Monday five alleged Singaporean members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant network have been released.

Three of them were released in March after being held for two years under Singapore's Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

The three, previously detained in Malaysia, were arrested when they were deported to Singapore and subsequently held under the ISA, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

It said another two alleged Singaporean JI members, who were detained in September 2002, were released on Sunday.

All five are under restriction orders which limit their movements and activities, the ministry said.

"The five men had been cooperative in investigations and shown progress in rehabilitation, including religious counselling, and were assessed to no longer pose a security threat that required detention," the ministry said.

Singapore's Internal Security Act, which dates back to British colonial rule, allows the government to detain people who are regarded as a threat to national security for up to two years without trial.

The detention orders are renewable.

The Southeast Asian state, a staunch ally in the US-led "war on terror", has said it is a top target for extremists and has taken elaborate security measures to prevent an attack.

Singapore in 2001 dismantled a local cell and arrested several militant members of the JI which was alleged to be planning to attack American and other foreign targets. - AFP/vm