The Memo: 16 Dec—29 Dec 2024
The Memo from 16 Dec—29 Dec 2024: Summary of incidents, ranging from terrorism, covert actions, organised crimes, regional conflicts to cybersecurity incidents.
In brief:
- Indonesia: Densus 88 arrests eight terror suspects across regions.
- Syria: Assad loyalists kill 14 officers in western Syria.
- Russia: Russia moves to remove Taliban, HTS from terror list.
- Malaysia: Russian student fined for military base trespass.
- United States: Chinese hackers breach telecoms, agent charged over election.
Terrorism and insurgency
- West Java, Indonesia
Indonesia's counterterrorism efforts have intensified with multiple operations this month. Densus 88 arrested five suspected terrorists in West Java, with four in Majalengka and one in Tasikmalaya. In a separate operation, they apprehended three suspected members of East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) in Central Sulawesi, a group previously thought extinct after its last known member's death in 2022. These arrests follow last month's capture of two Islamic State of Indonesia (NII) suspects in South Sumatra who had links to Jakarta-based networks.
- Tartous, Syria
Forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad have killed 14 police officers and wounded 10 others in an ambush near Tartous, marking the first major security challenge for Syria's new government. The attack coincides with protests in several cities following the circulation of a video showing the desecration of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo. The new authorities have deployed additional forces to maintain security and have set deadlines for former regime forces to surrender their weapons, as tensions rise particularly in coastal areas with significant Alawite populations
- Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law enabling the removal of the Taliban and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from Russia's list of terrorist organisations. This move aims to foster closer relations with the Taliban-led Afghanistan and the HTS-led interim government in Syria. The decision is part of Russia's strategy to secure new trade routes and maintain its military presence in Syria, whilst potentially smoothing over regional tensions following a recent plane crash incident involving Azerbaijan. This marks a significant shift in Russia's diplomatic approach to these formerly designated terrorist groups
Covert actions and espionage
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A 35-year-old Russian student, Ilya Zakharov, received a RM1,000 fine from the Kuala Lumpur magistrates' court for trespassing at Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, a restricted military facility. Zakharov, who studies at a private university in Kuala Lumpur, faces one month's imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine under Section 447 of the Penal Code.
Governance, elections, and influence operations
- California, United States
Federal authorities have arrested Yaoning "Mike" Sun, 64, for allegedly acting as a Chinese agent to influence a local election in Southern California. Sun, who served as campaign manager for Arcadia City Councillor Eileen Wang, allegedly collaborated with Chen Jun, a convicted Chinese agent, to influence US local politicians on issues like Taiwan.
Cybersecurity and lawful access
- United States
Chinese hackers have targeted major US telecommunications companies through the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation, though AT&T and Verizon now claim their networks are secure. US officials revealed that nine telecom companies were compromised, giving hackers the ability to track millions of people and record calls at will. The attack prompted both carriers to work with law enforcement, whilst the US Cybersecurity Agency has advised government officials to switch to end-to-end encrypted communications apps.
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