Two gunmen shot dead off Sabah

Security forces shot dead two men suspected to be kidnap-for-ransom agents last night close to the Pulau Boheyan waters within the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) area, it was reported today.

Esscom commander DCP Hazani Ghazali said the men, in their 50s and believed to be illegal immigrants, were killed in a shootout with the security forces following a 30-minute boat chase.

The security forces recovered a pump boat, two revolvers - a .22 and a .38; seven .22 bullets; one .38 bullet and five empty casings and a samurai sword, he said at a press conference in Kunak.

Hazani said the two men in a pump boat sped off upon seeing a security forces boat in the vicinity of Kampung Air Kunak Tiga at about 10pm yesterday.

The security forces boat gave chase and flashed the blue lights to warn them to stop but the men opened fire at the security forces who responded with gunfire as the boats reached Pulau Boheyan waters, he said.

The Esscom security forces squad, led by ACP Mohd Nasaruddin M Nasir, found the bodies of the two men with gunshot wounds in the pump boat, he said.

Hazani also said that the Esscom special operation also resulted in the seizing of a pump boat in Kampung Air Kunak Tiga that was apparently used in the kidnap of two Indonesian fishermen in Pulau Gaya, Semporna, on Sept 11.

He said 18 people were detained and 16 pump boats were seized during the operation in Kampung Air Kunak Tiga, launched along with the Sabah police.

Hazani said he agreed with a state government proposal for the registration of all pump boats in the state and their colour coding according to district or zone to facilitate inspections by the security forces.

-- Bernama