South Asia in January 2026: the most important developments in security
Security news across South Asia and its neighbors in January 2026 was dominated by crackdowns on online fraud operations. On 29 January China executed 11 people linked to telecom fraud gangs in northern Myanmar, and on 30 January a Chinese court sentenced Xu Faqi, head of a Myanmar-based criminal gang, to death with a two-year reprieve. State media said the networks ran large-scale scam operations that lured victims from other countries. Earlier in the month, Cambodian authorities suspended sales at properties owned by the Prince Group, which is accused of being a front for cyberscam activities, and China warned its citizens in Cambodia about kidnappings and fraudulent job advertisements. Thirteen Japanese nationals were arrested on their return from Cambodia over alleged involvement in fraud. Thailand repatriated 300 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in scam operations and uncovered two Cambodia-based fraud rings with 157 members under investigation.
In Bangladesh, several Hindu men were reported killed during the month, including one who was run over at a petrol pump during a dispute over a fuel payment. India recalled the families of its diplomats from Bangladesh and designated the posting as non-family, citing rising security concerns. On 30 January the United States issued a security alert warning of possible extremist attacks ahead of Bangladesh's elections. A nine-year-old injured by gunfire from Myanmar was transferred to a hospital in Dhaka, and Bangladesh repatriated 128 fishermen detained in India.
Elsewhere, China's military said its navy conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea, and a spokesperson accused the Philippines and countries from outside the region of disrupting peace and stability through joint patrols. The death toll from a vessel accident in the Philippines rose to 28, with 10 people missing. An ATR aircraft with ten people on board disappeared from radar in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a military aircraft crashed in Chiang Mai, Thailand, killing two. Malaysia refused a US request for custody of 13 youths linked to the militant group Jemaah Islamiyah.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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