Two
new flash points involving armed intruders erupted in the east coast
of Sabah as the army and police mapped out a strategy to storm the Sulu
group of Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram at Tanduo village.The army is
rushing reinforcements to help the police deal with the latest landings
of about 10 men in military gear sighted in Kunak, following the
killing of six policemen and six intruders in a gun battle at the
Simunul water village in Semporna on Saturday night.
Sighting
of armed intruders were also claimed by villagers in Kinabatangan and
elsewhere but, so far, the police have denied the reports.
At
Kampung Senallang Lama, about 7km from Simunul, a former Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) commander who was armed with an M16 assault
rifle and a grenade launcher was said to have rounded up villagers as
hostages at a mosque. He was killed by local youths.
In the
meantime, a tense situation engulfed Semporna as thousands of families
fled town and a lockdown enforced around Simunul, where a Tiger platoon
strike force was sent.
At a 7pm
press conference in Lahad Datu yesterday, Inspector-General of Police
Tan Sri Ismail Omar declared the Semporna incident has been resolved and
there had not been any hostage situation.
He said the bodies of the six police personnel were recovered at Simunul.
The
police had declined to initially verify villagers claim that a mother
with her child as well as several police personnel might be trapped or
held hostage by the armed Sulu group. Assuring the people that the
situation in Sabah was under control, Ismail told the media at Felda
Sahabat 16 in Lahad Datu that he has asked the military to help
strengthen security in Semporna and the state.
Present at the press conference was Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin.
On the
purported sightings of about 10 intruders at about 10pm on Saturday in
Kunak, where they were seen entering Kampung Long Malor and Kampung
Dasar Lama, Ismail said three of them were armed and were in fatigues
that were similar to that worn by the Sulu group at Tanduo village.
Describing
the intruders as “not strong”, Zulkifeli said that he has sent two
more army battalions to Semporna and Kunak as a public confidence
builder.
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Gel Untuk Suami Bertahan Lama… KLIK SINI
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Pam Istimewa Untuk Suami Hanya Di Bilik Mandi…KLIK SINI
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Kapsul Ubat Kuat Khas Buat Suami Jadi Perkasa… Klik SINI
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Gel Untuk Suami Bertahan Lama… KLIK SINI
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Pam Istimewa Untuk Suami Hanya Di Bilik Mandi…KLIK SINI
Terlaris & Terhebat !!! Kapsul Ubat Kuat Khas Buat Suami Jadi Perkasa… Klik SINI
Classifying
the intruders as criminals, Zulkifeli said they came in small boats
over a few days from the southern Philippines island of Sibutu, which
was only a 25-minute boat ride to Semporna and that was why the security
forces were unable to detect them.
“I believe they came in civilian clothes and, upon entering Sabah, they grouped up and put on their military fatigues.
“We found two bags with civilian clothes,’ he said, adding that they could have entered on Feb 11 or Feb 12.
On claims
by the MNLF of an uprising of the Tausugs known as Suluks in Sabah if
Azzimudie’s group was attacked in Tanduo, Zulkifeli said: “Even though
they are Tausug, they are law abiding people.”
A group of
soldiers from the 21st Battalion Royal Malay Regiment at the 8th
Brigade Camp, Pengkalan Chepa, left for Sabah as additional troops to
monitor the situation in Lahad Datu.
They were given a tearful send-off by family members at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa here.
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