Global Conflict Reporting

Tag: geopolitics

  • China and the U.S. clash over US patrol in South China Sea. (Video Included).

    By. Scott Jackson

    08/15/2025

    Yesterday, the  Chinese PLAN (People’s liberation, Army Navy) claimed that they expelled a U.S. Navy Destroyer that entered its territorial waters near the Scarborough Shoals in the South China Sea. 

    Here’s the facts we know. The U.S. Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG-76) previously located at Cebu City in the Philippines  sailed near the disputed territory around the Scarborough Shoal during a freedom of navigation patrol. This was two days after a Chinese coast guard cutter collided with a Chinese guided missile destroyer while chasing a ship from the Filipino coast guard. USS Higgins came within 12 miles of Huangyan Island (another name for Scarborough Shoal) , a highly disputed territory claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It should be noted that the Philippines coast guard said that an Independence-class Littoral combat ship , the USS Cincinnati was also nearby.

    The Chinese say that they forced the patrol to leave the area. The U.S. disputes this saying nothing thr Chinese said or did affected them in any way.

    “China’s statement about this mission is false,” a spokesperson for U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement. “USS Higgins (DDG-76) conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations. The operation reflects our commitment to uphold the freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle. The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us.”

    The spokesperson for U.S. 7th Fleet said that the Freedom of Navigation Operation challenged the prior requirement of a notification and authorization that China and Taiwan seek before a warship makes an innocent passage in their territorial sea. 

    A FONOP or Freedom of Navigation Operation is a naval operation carried out by the U.S. to assert the right of free transfer through an area. usually, heavily disputed area.
    “The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is unlawful,” the spokesperson for the Japan-based fleet said in the statement.

     

    This video which I believe is filmed by a PLA helicopter or drone shows a Chinese Type-055 guided missile destroyer shadowing the USS Higgins (DDG-76) a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-Class destroyer. We also see the USS Cleveland (LCS-31) a Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship that was also in the region.

    A Chinese SU-27 is also briefly shown in the footage.

  • Chinese warship and Coast Guard vessel collide while attempting to blockade Scarborough Shoal.

    Chinese coast guard Jiangdao-class cutter (CCG 3104) after colliding with PLAN warship.

    By. Scott Jackson

    08/11/2025

    Earlier today Chinese maritime Forces collided with each other while attempting to stop a Filipino vessel from distributing aid and supplies to fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal area. BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) escorted fishing carrier MV Pamamalakaya and 35 local fishing vessels in support of Manila’s Kadiwa Operation, a Philippine government-led initiative designed to support and empower fishing communities in the country’s western exclusive economic zone.

    The video above is taken from the stern of the BRP Suluan.

    A Chinese coast guard Jiangdao-class cutter (CCG 3104) one of several former People’s Liberation Army Navy 056-class corvettes, deployed water cannons on the Philippine vessel (BRP Sultan) and while giving chase to them a guided missile destroyer from the PLA Navy, the Guilin, a Type 52D Guided Missile Destroyer, crossed into the path of the Chinese Coast Guard ship causing them to strike the port side of the destroyer. This caused large damage to the front of the coast guard ship and to the port side bow of the destroyer. The Philippine Coast guard said that this accident rendered the cutter unseaworthy. You can see in the video what appears to be at least one sailor on the cutter attempting to put a fender on the front of the cutter to absorb the impact. After the accident the Philippine ships offered support and assistance. No information on if anybody was injured or killed however I have to imagine the sailors at the front of the Chinese cutter would be lucky to still be standing afterword. 

    A shot almost directly after the two ships collided.

    During the confrontation, Filipino coast guard vessel Teresa Magbanua remained on station to escort the Kadiwa supply mission, which then resupplied Philippine fishing vessels with fuel and provisions off Scarborough Shoal.

    “The Philippine Coast Guard reaffirms its dedication to safeguarding all maritime operations in the area and wishes for the swift recovery and proper treatment of any affected CCG personnel,”  Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. 

    This attempt to blockade the Philippine ships is a blatant violation of the Philippines territorial sovereignty. The U.S. naval institute spoke to Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight Project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. He had this to say, commenting on the situation.

     “China is now intercepting Philippine vessels well beyond any legitimate territorial sea claim, and using gray zone tactics such as swarming, blocking and water cannons to directly violate the Philippines’ freedom of navigation on the high seas,”

    One striking observation pointed out in all of this is the presence of a People Liberation Army Navy vessel. Most of the past dust ups have been between coast guard vessels or even Chinese militia sent in as thugs. Seeing the military directly involved here could signal a hardening of Beijing’s stance on the matter.

    This is just the latest incident in a long running series of violence and disputes over the Scarborough Shoal. The shoal is a maritime feature within Manila’s exclusive economic zone that Beijing claims under its ten-dash line assertion. Chinese forces effectively seized the shoal in 2012 but the area has remained a flashpoint. 

  • Cambodia and Thailand forces exchange heavy cross border fire.

    By. Scott Jackson

    07/24/2025

    On Thursday, July 24th, 2025 cross border shelling and small-arms fire was exchanged between soldiers of the countries of Thailand and Cambodia.

    Diplomatic relations broke down between the two South Asian neighbors of Thailand and Cambodia after a border skirmish in May left one Cambodian troop killed. Tensions worsened on Wednesday (07/22/2025) when a Thai soldier lost a leg from a landmine that Thailand says was planted in a disputed territory. Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador and recalled their own.

    Thursday, the situation escalated horribly. Armed clashes broke out between border forces. Small arms fire was exchanged in the area of the Ta Muen Thom Temple – which lies in disputed territory in the south of Thailand’s Surin province and in Cambodia’s northwest. Thailand claimed Cambodia had deployed a drone near the temple before sending in ground forces.A statement from the Thai military claims that Cambodia fired heavy weapons into the nearby Kap Choeng district. Videos circulating on social media correlate that statement by showing both a Russian-made BM-21 Grad Multi launch Rocket System (MLRS) and a Czechoslovak-made RM-70 GRAD 122mm rocket launchers being used by Cambodian forces. The rocket fire caused Thailand to order an evacuation of the area.

    Video shows a Russian-produced Grad launcher being used by Cambodian forces. We can’t see exactly who is firing this weapon however Thailand does not have this weapons system in its arsenal.
    Video shows Czechoslovak-made RM-70 GRAD 122mm rocket launcher in use by Cambodian forces.
    Video shows the aftermath of a Cambodian rocket attack which hit this PTT gas station in Ban Phue Sisaket Province.


    “The attack injured three civilians. Thai authorities have promptly evacuated residents from the area to ensure the safety of lives and property,” the Thai military said in a statement.

    “Cambodian forces acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity,”Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, a cambodian defense ministry spokesperson said. 

    The US embassy put out a statement warning US citizens living or visiting Thailand “U.S. citizens living or traveling near the Thailand-Cambodia border should follow direction from Thai security services and consult local government authorities for the latest information”

    After the rocket attacks, which lit fires in the nearby Kap Choeng district, Thailand responded by launching F-16 fighter jets which Thailand’s second military command said struck two Cambodian regional military headquarters, destroying them.

    An F-16 in the service of the Royal Thai Air Force.


    Right now the fighting has remained centered around the border region, however the situation has the potential to escalate into a much wider regional conflict with the possibility of drawing in other world powers. Cambodia maintains a distinct military partnership with China, who helps fund their defense. They also have connections to the US, though not as strongly as Thailand, who operate many US weapons systems and participate in US military exercises .

    This is an ongoing story. Stay tuned for new updates. As of the latest info Cambodia is currently trying to deploy tanks into the Satta Som Mountain area in Ban Phumsarol. Thailand has deployed UAV’s and is claiming to have destroyed several armed vehicles.

  • Israel launches strike on Syrian Ministry of Defense HQ in Demarcus as atrocities occur in the south.

    By. Scott Jackson

    07/19/2025

    Three days ago the capital of Syria, Damascus, was rocked as Israeli fighter-bombers conducted strikes against the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Israel says these strikes were in defense of the Druze people, a religious minority who reside in areas of Syria like Sweida as well as in parts of Israel. The Druze have been fighting with the Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes and militias connected to them. There are also rumors of government is backing those with involvement in the fighting against the Druze.

    Last Friday, renewed clashes ignited between the Druze and the Bedouins. Kidnappings and gun battles occurred throughout areas around the Sweida region in southern Syria. 
    Over the weekend Syrian government forces were dispatched to the area in response to the clashes but however, the Druze pushed back against the military forces and attempted to block them acess from the area. Israel carried out strikes on Syrian military targets on Tuesday. There are local reports of a Syrian military convoy being bombed by Israeli warplanes but so far they remain unconfirmed.

    “Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria,”
    Statement from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    “We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the region adjacent to our border with Syria.”

    Israel Katz, Israeli Minister of Defense.

    The Syrian government feels differently about the situation and claimed that Israel was purposely acting to destabilize the situation and the region further. President Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that Israel had a “deliberate policy” to “Inflame tensions” and “spread chaos”.

    While Israel purposely destabilizing the region is up for debate one thing they have said publicly is that they would not allow a large Syrian military force to occupy territory in southern Syria for fears of them being used to push into the occupied Golan Heights.

    The main area of focus is the green territory in the south. Israel currently occupies most of the Quneitra region.

    On Wednesday July 16, the IDF carried out a strike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense building in Damascus. Multiple angles of footage are available of the strike.

    Since then several ceasefires have been agreed upon by the Druze and the Bedouin, two of which were almost immediately broken. Right now there is an anxious pause in the fighting and a ceasefire sponsored by the U.S. in place. Israel agreed to allow Syrian troops into the south and the fighting has started to die down.

    The President of Syria made this statement about the fighting and the ceasefire.

    “We have received international invitations to intervene in what is happening in Sweida and restore security to the country. “

    He continues,

    “The Syrian state alone is capable of preserving its prestige and sovereignty across all Syrian territories.”

    “We appreciate the role of the United States of America in reaffirming its stand with Syria and its unity,”

    “We thank the tribes for their heroic stances and call on them for a complete ceasefire.”

    And speaking on some

    “The honorable Druze community as a whole should not be judged for the actions of a very small minority.”

    He also added that,

    “Events have proven that the people of Sweida stand with the state, with the exception of a small segment.”

     “We disown all massacres and transgressions that occurred in Sweida province.”

    He finished strong with this statement

    “This sensitive circumstance requires the tribes and the Druze people to stand united.” Reaffirming Syria’s territorial integrity, he declared, “Syria is not a battlefield for secessionist projects.”

    Author’s note. 

    I usually prefer to have more visual information with my reports however the violence being carried out between the Druze and the Bedouins is some of the most horrific stuff I’ve ever gone through. People being stabbed to death and shot are the tame videos I’ve seen a videos of a Bedouin militia forcing Druze people to jump off a rooftop. As they prepare for what they are about to do ao and start climbing the railing they are shot anyway with rifles. 
    The Druze as well have been forcing Arabs out of the area and killing those who don’t comply. In the whole affair around 350 people have been killed. In the grand scheme of things that seems low but it could have been much worse and still has the potential to reignite.

    Sorry for the delay in writing this, I’ve been following the fighting but it took me a while to re-familiarize myself with some of the players here. 

    Thank you for the support. Without you, GCR does not exist. 

    -Scott

  • Images show the aftermath of the Iranian retaliation strike on U.S. Al Udeid airbase.

    By. Scott Jackson

    07/15/2025

    Recently released images show the damage after an Iranian attack on the U.S. Al Udeid airbase. The June 23rd ballistic missile attack was mostly intercepted, video of which can be seen here.

    Qatari residents watch as US air defenses take out incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.

    Al Udeid is a large military complex and is currently the forward operating base for US Central Command and the USAF Central Command and several air squadrons as well as one from the Royal Air Force. Al Udeid has been an important US instillations since after Desert Storm when a Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed and the base was built in 1996. The U.S. kept the base somewhat secret until the early 2000’s when it was used to launch missions into Afghanistan. Since then the base has remained an important strategical command post for US forces in the Middle East.

    The Iranian attack on June 22nd was being carried out for several reasons but mainly as retaliation for the U.S.’s strike on Iran’s nuclear sites several days earlier. On a deeper level the retaliation was planned because Iran needed to appear to remain strong in front of their allies and the rest of the world. Not striking back, for them, was not an option.

    Hours before the attack the US was made aware of the planned attack by the Qatari government who were told by Iranian officials. This gave the US enough warning that no lives were lost.

    Above shows a before image of the exact area that received damage. What you’re looking at is a satellite antenna for the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) network. It is not a radar as some have reported.

    Here is what it looks like on the inside.

    Inside the radar dome at Al-Udeid.

    Several days after the attacks this is what the same spot looked like.

    The back circle is the remains of the radar dome and dish.

    Looking closer with photos from the ground …

    We knew several days ago that the site had received damage but having pictures from the ground is always a bonus.

    Fixing the damage will be a high priority for the forces at the base. It’s a fairly new system made by L3Harris so it’s likely expensive. I’m the interim it’s possible a smaller version of the same model can be brought in to take care of their immediate communication needs.

  • Houthis back to business, sinking two cargo ships in two days. (Video included)

    By.Scott Jackson

    07/10/2025

    Right now 15 sailers are missing and presumed dead after Houthi forces carried out their second attack and subsequent sinking of a cargo ship in the Red Sea this week.

    Image taken of the Eternity C frim 2019.

    The Eternity C, a Greek-owned cargo vessel was attacked on Monday, one day after the attack on the ‘Magic Seas’, showing an increase in the Houthis willingness to attack shipping since the ceasefire with the U.S.

    The attacks main thrust , according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation, started around 1703 (5:03PM) on Monday. At that time the company security officer reported that the ship had been hit with multiple Rocket propelled grenade rounds and was being approached by multiple small craft. They had been in and out of fights with this group of boats for the past day as they attempted to get through the Red Sea.

    10 minutes after the first UKMTO report Eternity C, reported that the vessel has sustained significant damage and has lost all propulsion. At this point the ship was surrounded and taking continuous fire from the small boats. The boat was completely overrun after that.

    The Europeans unions defensive operation in the region- Operation Aspides, rescued several of the crew of the Eternity C floated in the water for 24 hours before a rescue could be made. The Yemeni Navy also responded to rescue survivors.

    The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault, releasing several videos. One I’ve included as they are both very similar The ship is filmed as it slowly sinks after being struck with a missile which caused damage to the deck but did not cause the sinking. Holes caused by off screen damage can be seen at the ships water line.

    The U.S. mission in government controlled parts of the Yemen, accused the Houthis of kidnapping many of the survivors of the ship who have yet to be found.

    Update-

    Of the crew, 10 were rescued, 3 were killed and 12 are suspected to have been kidnapped.

  • Houthi’s attack in Red Sea leads to a sunk cargo ship.

    By.Scott Jackson

    07/06/2025

    Several hours ago the M/S ‘Magic Seas‘ a Greek-flagged and Liberian registered cargo carrier traveling through the Red Sea was attacked by multiple Houthie boats who exchanged small arms fire at the ship in an attempt to hijack the vessel. The ships security team returned fire. During the course of the firefight the vessel was struck with an unknown (at the time) projectile which started a fire. The ships crew ultimately had to abandon their ship as its condition became dire.

    Magic Seas set ablaze after an attack carried out by Houthi fighters.

    This is the first attack from the Houthi rebels of Yemen since December of last year. They took credit shortly after the attack occurred,claiming it was in support of Palestinians in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.

    When the attack occurred the ship was about nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodiedah. The report from the UKMTO says that at 1125 UTC the ahip came under attack from 8 skiffs carrying multiple fighters apiece that opened up with small arms fire and RPG’s, and also attacked with unscrewed drone boats.

    Magic Seas.
    The first update from the UK Maritime Trade Operations informing of the attacks.
    An update from several hours later confirming that the ship was taking on water and the crew was abandoning ship.

    In their statement, published on the Al Ansar Telegram channel, the Houthis claimed that the ship for the profile for ships that should be targeted. They also stated that four navel drones took part in the attack on the Magic Seas. They indicated that two of the drones collided with the port side of the ship which caused the fire.

    Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea started in November 2023, In support of Hamas and their war against Israel in Gaza. Since then dozens of vessels have been attacked, most with Iranian supplied ballistic missiles fired from Yemen. Shipping company’s from most of the worlds nations have all had to weigh the options of a faster trip through the Red Sea and the danger of a Houthi missile attack, or a safer but much longer and more costly trip around the Horn of Africa. In total the Houthis managed to sink two ships- the M/S Tutor and M/S Rubymar and damaged many more. Four mariners have been killed total with many more being held hostage. 

    (By my memory over 30 ships were attack,possibly more.)

    In 2024 the Biden administration started up near daily airstrikes against the Houthis targeting missiles and drone production sites, their launching infrastructure and military infrastructure, radar, and air defense. The changing of the US administration seen a change to the policy against the Houthis with a monthlong campaign of airstrikes being carried out in March.