Malaysian security forces have killed a lone Sulu gunman in Sabah, raising the “enemy” body count to 53.
The intruder was killed in a shootout at about 8am when he attempted to break through one the cordon the security forces have put up in Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu.
According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, the police and army are pushing the Sulu intruders back and most of them are believed to be hiding out in small groups.
They said security forces have tightened the security blockades at Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu to about 4 km radius and 3km radius respectively.
“We are confident that they are trapped in Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu, we will now continue to flush them out,” Zukifeli in a press conference in Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu at noon today.
They also confirmed that so far 79 intruders and locals linked to the group have been arrested.
Zulkifeli said that security intelligence were quite sure that the remaining militants are mostly hiding in those two locations, and that is where the focus of Ops Daulat currently is.
“They are now moving in small groups, maybe even as individuals. There are pockets of them hiding in swamps and these jungles have big trees,” he said.
He also explained that some of the gunmen had earlier managed to escape from Kampung Tanduo to Kampung Tanjung Batu due to the rugged terrain.
Meanwhile, Ismail said that the leader of the group has not been identified as some of the bodies of the intruders still remain in the dense jungle that has turned into a bloody battlefield in the past week.
Yesterday, the Kiram clan claimed that only 10 of their men have fallen in Sabah, according to the spokesman the leader of the intruders, Sulu 'Sultan' Jamalul Kiram III.
Abraham Idjirani, the spokesperson, suggested that this was a propaganda by Malaysia to claim success over its counterattack on the Filipinos.
“You must allow the foreign and local media into the conflict areas to verify their claims.”
“Until that is done, everything is subjected to debate,” he was quoted in The Philippine Star saying yesterday.
Almost one month of conflict has passed since the whole crisis started on February 9 when Jamalul’s brother, Agbimuddin Kiram led a group of more than 150 armed men into Lahad Datu, claiming ancestral rights over Sabah.
After about three weeks of peaceful negotiations failed, violence erupted on March 1, with several gunfights and standoffs which Malaysia claimed was first triggered by the group.
Facing a defiant group which refused to surrender, Malaysia then launched an all-out attack on Tuesday morning, using fighter jets to rain down heavy artillery fire and bombs.
The ‘Ops Daulat’ artillery strikes was followed up with ground troops moving in with the “mopping up” operations.
This has so far resulted in at least 61 people killed on both sides.
The figure includes the killing of a 'general', but Ismail Omar has denied that it belonged to Agbimuddin.
A report in The Star claimed that it was believed to be that of a leader from Moro National Liberation Front(MNLF), which has admitted that some of the men in Sabah are from their troops.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak rejected a call for ceasefire issued by the Sulu 'Sultan' Jamalul Kiram III, saying Malaysia would only accept "unconditional surrender" from the group.
The ceasefire declaration was made on Thursday noon, after the United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful settlement to the problem.
The intruder was killed in a shootout at about 8am when he attempted to break through one the cordon the security forces have put up in Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu.
According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, the police and army are pushing the Sulu intruders back and most of them are believed to be hiding out in small groups.
They said security forces have tightened the security blockades at Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu to about 4 km radius and 3km radius respectively.
“We are confident that they are trapped in Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu, we will now continue to flush them out,” Zukifeli in a press conference in Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu at noon today.
They also confirmed that so far 79 intruders and locals linked to the group have been arrested.
Zulkifeli said that security intelligence were quite sure that the remaining militants are mostly hiding in those two locations, and that is where the focus of Ops Daulat currently is.
“They are now moving in small groups, maybe even as individuals. There are pockets of them hiding in swamps and these jungles have big trees,” he said.
He also explained that some of the gunmen had earlier managed to escape from Kampung Tanduo to Kampung Tanjung Batu due to the rugged terrain.
Meanwhile, Ismail said that the leader of the group has not been identified as some of the bodies of the intruders still remain in the dense jungle that has turned into a bloody battlefield in the past week.
Yesterday, the Kiram clan claimed that only 10 of their men have fallen in Sabah, according to the spokesman the leader of the intruders, Sulu 'Sultan' Jamalul Kiram III.
Abraham Idjirani, the spokesperson, suggested that this was a propaganda by Malaysia to claim success over its counterattack on the Filipinos.
“You must allow the foreign and local media into the conflict areas to verify their claims.”
“Until that is done, everything is subjected to debate,” he was quoted in The Philippine Star saying yesterday.
Almost one month of conflict has passed since the whole crisis started on February 9 when Jamalul’s brother, Agbimuddin Kiram led a group of more than 150 armed men into Lahad Datu, claiming ancestral rights over Sabah.
After about three weeks of peaceful negotiations failed, violence erupted on March 1, with several gunfights and standoffs which Malaysia claimed was first triggered by the group.
Facing a defiant group which refused to surrender, Malaysia then launched an all-out attack on Tuesday morning, using fighter jets to rain down heavy artillery fire and bombs.
The ‘Ops Daulat’ artillery strikes was followed up with ground troops moving in with the “mopping up” operations.
This has so far resulted in at least 61 people killed on both sides.
The figure includes the killing of a 'general', but Ismail Omar has denied that it belonged to Agbimuddin.
A report in The Star claimed that it was believed to be that of a leader from Moro National Liberation Front(MNLF), which has admitted that some of the men in Sabah are from their troops.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak rejected a call for ceasefire issued by the Sulu 'Sultan' Jamalul Kiram III, saying Malaysia would only accept "unconditional surrender" from the group.
The ceasefire declaration was made on Thursday noon, after the United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful settlement to the problem.
