Cop shot dead by southern Thai insurgents; Filipino pro-IS terrorist killed in clash
And more news in this latest weekly Southeast Asia armed conflict summary (30 June-6 July 2025).
A tense week unfolded across Southeast Asia, marked by escalating violence in Thailand’s Deep South, renewed insurgent activities in the Philippines, intensifying conflict in Myanmar, and mounting geopolitical friction between China, the US, and regional powers.
In Thailand, a police officer was shot dead in Yala while two rangers injured by an bomb explosion in Narathiwat, both provinces in the restive south. Authorities confirmed a series of attempted bombings targeting tourist areas near Phuket, linked to separatist insurgents. Security forces destroyed devices and intensified patrols amid reports that “white faces” operatives from the southern rebellion were behind recent plots. Despite the threats, Malaysian tourist arrivals to Thailand remained high. Separately, analysts questioned Asean’s capacity to mediate ongoing Thai-Cambodian tensions.
In the Philippines, a Dawlah Islamiyah militant was killed and another wounded in Lanao del Norte. Security forces busted drug dens with suspected terror ties in Maguindanao del Sur. Clashes with communist rebels intensified, with the military seizing arms caches in Agusan, Caraga, Aklan, and Surigao del Sur. The communist insurgent group, called the New People’s Army (NPA), admitted to deadly shootings in Toboso and arson attacks on equipment in Negros Occidental. Eight wanted insurgents were captured in manhunt operations.
Three violent extremists…