Large-scale attack in southern Thailand, 2 hurt; multiple Filipino communist insurgents killed
And more news in this latest weekly Southeast Asia armed conflict summary (7-13 July 2025).
A surge in insurgent and military activity marked last week in Southeast Asia, with clashes intensifying in the Philippines and Myanmar, while Thailand and Malaysia dealt with security threats linked to separatism and foreign militants respectively. Tensions with China over the South China Sea remained prominent.
In Thailand, militants stormed a security base in Narathiwat, injuring two officers in a rare large-scale attack. In response, the Thai Army renewed its appeal to southern separatists to pursue peace talks instead of violence.
Philippine government forces killed multiple New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in encounters across Mindanao and the Visayas, while dozens of others surrendered or were arrested, including top fugitives. Significant arms caches were also seized. The military ramped up its counter-insurgency efforts and began reviewing amnesty applications from ex-rebels. In Maguindanao del Sur, MILF-related clan violence triggered military warnings and mediation efforts. The Philippine Army began shifting focus to external defence as tensions with China escalated, with a record number of Chinese vessels entering Philippine waters in June. The Coast Guard intercepted a suspected Chinese spy ship, and the country reaffirmed the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea. Meanwhile, President Marcos planned a meeting with Donald Trump to discuss regional security and trade.
In Myanmar, ethnic resistance forces captured junta outposts along the Thai border, including in Myawaddy, prompting heavy airstrikes by the military, which reportedly killed dozens of civilians. The junta deployed conscripts in a push to retake lost areas, including in Shan and Sagaing. Hundreds fled into Thailand as clashes intensified. Separately, Indian separatists alleged drone attacks on their Myanmar-based camps by the Indian army.
Indonesian security forces arrested eight members of a Papuan armed group allegedly linked to insurgents over a teacher’s murder. The counterterrorism agency BNPT advanced several initiatives to detect and prevent radicalisation, including engaging students and women in ideological resilience. An antiterror official raised alarms…