Two GOF members hurt in Sulu attack

Sabah police chief says the shootout shows that the militant group had no intention of surrendering or to ceasefire.

LAHAD DATU: Two members of the General Operations Force (GOF) were injured in a shootout which dragged on for eight hours in Kampung Tanjung Batu near here last night.

Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib said the two GOF members, both aged 25, were shot on the leg in the shoot-out which began at 8pm yesterday.

“Those who were injured were given treatment at the scene by the armed forces medical team and then sent to a hospital in Sandakan,” he told a media conference at the “Ops Daulat” operation headquarters in Felda Sahabat 16 today.

He said the shootout showed that the militant group had no intention of surrendering or to ceasefire as was reported by the Philippines media.

Media report from the Philippines had quoted Jamalul Kiram III as having ordered the intruders in Lahad Datu to lay down their arms following the offensive operation by the Malaysian security forces.

Hamza said the number of those arrested for alleged involvement with the intruders had increased to 85 from 79 people, previously.

The number, he said, did not include 27 people who were detained in three boats in the “Ops Daulat” prohibited area at 10am yesterday in waters off Tanjung Batu.

He assured the people that the situation in the east coast of Sabah was under control.

A total of 53 militant were reported killed in the “Ops Daulat”, launched six days ago.

Since the intrusion on Feb 12, two policemen were killed, two in an attack in Kampung Tanduo on March 1, and six others in an ambush in Kampung Sri Jaya, Simunul, Semporna the following day.

33 arrested for abetting Sulu
Meanwhile, in SEMPORNA, the police have detained 33 people, including four women, on suspicion of abetting the Sulu terrorists, including providing them with security information.

Semporna district police chief DSP Mohd Firdaus Francis Abdullah said the suspects, all foreigners, were detained in Kampung Pinggir Bakau here.

He said four of them were believed to be intruders.

“They have been sent to the Lahad Datu police headquarters for questioning,” he told reporters here today.

He said the suspects, aged 18 and above, were detained in a house-house operation carried out between 6.30am and 9am.

A survey by Bernama at the location of the operation found about 100 policemen conducting house to house checks.