Latest Articles about Southeast Asia
February 2012 Briefs
ABU SAYYAF AND JEMAAH ISLAMIYA MEMBERS KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE An airstrike on an Abu Sayyaf camp on the island of Jolo in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines on February 3, 2012 killed 15 terrorists, including Zulkifli bin Hir (alias Marwan), Gumbahali Jumdail (alias... MORE
Mekong River Patrols in Full Swing but Challenges Remain
Following the brutal murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in October 2011, China prevailed upon Thailand, Burma and Laos to improve transboundary law enforcement cooperation by participating in coordinated riverine patrols launched in December. While China’s participation in coordinated patrols in Southeast... MORE
The Mastermind of Mayhem in Mumbai: A Profile of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi
Outside the Indian subcontinent not much was known about the most prolific militant commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi, until the United States Treasury announced on May 27, 2008 that they had froze the assets of four of the top LeT leaders including Lakhvi.... MORE
China in 2012: Foreign Affairs a Secondary Priority but Salient Challenges Ahead
This year holds major domestic preoccupations for Chinese leaders. Heading the list are preparations for the 18th Chinese Communist Party Congress later this year and the following National Peoples Congress in early 2013. To ensure a smooth transition that will sustain the unity and legitimacy... MORE
Islamist Reaction to the NATO Airstrike on the Pakistani Border
Following the November 26 incident in which two Pakistani Army check posts in the Salala area of the Mohmand tribal agency were hit by a NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, Islamist religious parties and banned militant organizations have joined Pakistani authorities in... MORE
November 2011 BRIEFS
TOP INDIAN MAOIST LEADER ELIMINATED IN WEST BENGAL Mallojula Koteshwar Rao (a.k.a. Kishenji), the military commander of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) (see Militant Leadership Monitor, April 2010), was killed November 24th in a shootout with the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in... MORE
Jaish-e-Muhammad’s Charity Wing Revitalizes Banned Group in Pakistan
Often tagged as the second most lethal India-centric terror group based in the Pakistani Punjab, Jaish-e-Muhammad (Army of [the Prophet] Muhammad - JeM) is once again raising its head under the guise of charity in an apparent attempt to revitalize its fledgling stature in the... MORE
Islamist Militants of the Philippines Restructure to Intensify the Anti-Government Jihad
As it has done many times before, Abu Sayyaf is showing its ability to adapt and survive in the wake of predictions of its demise. As recently as May, an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson said that Abu Sayyaf would no longer have... MORE
Chasing the Professor: A Portrait of Jemaah Islamiyah’s Upik Lawanga
Taufik Buraga (a.k.a. Upik Lawanga) is a 34-year old high school-educated Indonesian jihadi from the small neighborhood of Tanah Runtuh, Poso on the island of Sulawesi (once known as Celebes). [1] He currently ranks as the foremost Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)-affiliated bomb expert. Since he set... MORE
September 2011 Briefs
FORMER AFGHAN MUJAHIDEEN LEADER KILLED IN SUICIDE BOMBING Former major mujahideen figure, one-time Afghan president, and current head of Hamid Karzai’s High Council for Peace Ustad (Professor) Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed in a suicide bombing at his home in Kabul’s relatively posh Wazir Akbar Khan... MORE