32 Sulu militants killed yesterday, death toll now 52, say authorities

LAHAD DATU, March 7 – Thirty-two Sulu militants have been killed since yesterday, bringing the total death toll among the Filipino gunmen in Sabah to 52, the authorities said today.

Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin (picture)said Tuesday’s air strikes against the Sulu gunmen holed up at Kampung Tanduo here were not meant to kill anyone, but to “neutralise” the enemy so that the security forces could move in without resistance.

“The air strikes didn’t plan to kill,” Zulkifeli said at a joint press conference here with Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Ismail Omar today.

“The total number of enemies that has fallen is 52,” said Ismail.

Ismail added that the security forces shot dead 31 Sulu gunmen at Kampung Tanjung Batu here yesterday, and one at Kampung Tanduo this morning.

Eight Malaysian policemen were slain over the weekend here and in Semporna, leading to an overall death toll of 60 at press time.

Ismail also said that a Sulu general was among those slain.

He added that he could not confirm if Sulu militant group leader Agbimuddin Kiram was among those killed.

Zulkifeli said that the southern Filipino gunmen in Kampung Tanduo have been surrounded in a small perimeter.

“Some are also hiding,” he added, admitting that the operation to flush out the militants would “take some time”.

Ismail said that some Sulu militants have also moved to Kampung Tanjung Batu, which is about four to five square kilometres big.

The top cop added that a “small number” of Sulu gunmen were left.

The authorities have admitted that the hilly terrain and dense forest of the Felda Sahabat oil palm plantations here, where the villages are located, have made it difficult to hunt down the militants.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has rejected the Sulu sultanate’s call for a ceasefire, demanding instead for the sultanate’s followers to surrender unconditionally and to lay down their arms.

Najib said earlier today that the security forces would not rest until the militants surrendered or were eliminated.

Several villagers staying at the Embara Budi community hall here, who were displaced since the Sulu militants invaded Kampung Tanduo on February 9, have expressed a desire to return home as soon as possible.

The followers of the Sulu sultanate have previously said that they were willing to die in Sabah in their quest to reclaim the Land Below The Wind.