UPDATED LIVE REPORTS: MALAYSIA BEGINS MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE FILIPINO INTRUDERS IN SABAH

 Updates from malaysiakini

LIVE REPORTS

 4.32pm: According to Utusan Malaysia, which quoted military sources, about 20 bodies of the Philippine intruders have been recovered. The mop-up operation continues hours after today's attack on Kampung Tanduo.
However, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar said he is still not able to confirm the number of casualties.

2.15pm: Semporna remains calm although most shops and all schools remain closed. There is no rush to stock up on food or petrol, despite a report that the police have placed the town on 'alert'.

2.12pm: The Star quotes Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, the minister in the PM's Department, as saying that the Lahad Datu incident is an intrusion into Malaysia's sovereignty, not a war.

"Because it is an intrusion, the situation is better dealt by the police," he says.
He also says the Sulu gunmen 'would definitely be charged with murder".

2.05pm: The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has issued an advisory against travel to the coastal region extending from the eastern most tip of Sabah south to the border with Indonesia. This area includes the towns of Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna, and Tawau.
It says local authorities have restricted movement in and around Lahad Datu in particular, and reminds US citizens to carry their passport with them at all times when in Malaysia.
Those residing in or visiting eastern Sabah should obey any evacuation and curfew orders announced by Malaysian officials, it says, adding that the embassy is not aware of specific threats to US citizens in Malaysia at this time.
Earlier today, Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen reiterated at a press conference that Sabah is not affected by the incident in Lahad Datu, and that army officers are continuing to guard islands like Sipadan.

1.42pm: ABS-CBN reports that the Philippines is asking the Malaysian authorities to help provide a safe exit from Sabah for Filipino women and non-combatants.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario (right) requests that "a corridor be made available for non-combatants and women in the area so that they will be allowed to leave the violence going on there".
Del Rosario also asks the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila to deliver a note verbale to the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines reiterating the appeal.
Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman says he will relay the request to Defence Minister Ahmad Zamid Hamidi.

1.30pm: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi arrive at the Felda Sahabat Residence by helicopter. They have been ushered into a room for briefing.

12.44pm: The Philippine Inquirer posted a report at 12.27pm claiming that the 'Royal Sulu Army' in Lahad Datu will not surrender despite the offensive by Malaysian security forces.
The daily reported that Sulu sultanate spokesperson Abraham Idjirani told a radio station that the group will continue to fight and  make their last stand there.
Bombs dropped by Malaysian jets struck the area but did not hit the Sulu gunmen, Idjirani said quoting Azzimudie Kiram who is leading the group.
InterAksyon.com had published similar report at 10.46am.
"No. No surrender," said Idjirani, adding that Azzimudie had told him during their last phone conversation that they were willing to fight until the end.
However it was not stated what time the phone call was made.
"He said, ‘If this is the last stand we do, let it be. But as a guerilla fighter now, we will find our way to sneak out from all dangers in order to survive'," Idjirani said.
"It only means they are afraid of us... If they were really brave, they would not use such a huge force to avoid being accused of overkill. They are showing the world that what they are doing is overkill."


11.54am: Police chief Ismail Omar says in a press statement that the joint operation between the police and military is still facing resistance. The enemies have fired several shots at the Malaysian security forces.

Currently the joint forces are conducting 'mopping up' operations. No casualties have been recorded on the Malaysian side, while casualties among the intruders are yet to be ascertained. 

Ismail calls on all quarters not to speculate on any casualties as inaccurate news may affect the operation, which is officially called Ops Sulu.

“The public do not need to be worried as the operations are being conducted in Kampung Tanduo only. The public are advised not to enter the operations area and to follow the instructions and advice of police who are on duty along the road to Kampung Tanduo.”

11.50pm: An ABN-CBS journalist uploaded a photo on Twitter of protesters setting alight an image of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak shaking hands with Philippine President Benigno Aquino, with the Malaysian flag in the background, outside the Malaysian embassy in Philippines.

11.45am: The situation in Bandar Cenderawasih, about 30km from the battleground, remains calm but troops have been stationed around the town to guard shops which are open for business.

Two military choppers have landed on the field of the local college.

An officer-in-charge informs Malaysiakini that instructions have been issued for all media personnel to remain in the media centre at nearby Felda Sahabat.

11.35am: The Star quotes police sources as saying that the Sulu gunmen in Kampung Tanduo have been "totally defeated". There are no casualties among the Malaysian security forces.

11.25am: The only petrol station in the Felda Sahabat area, Bandar Sahabat, has run out of petrol. The town is 15km from Kampung Tanduo, the battleground.

The next nearest petrol station in Bandar Cenderawasih, 30km away from the conflict zone, is also rationing petrol but reserving it only for military vehicles.
"The tanker refused to send petrol in, I only have 1,000 litres left and it's being set aside for our security forces," said petrol station manager Hakim Razim, 41 (right).

However after some negotiation, Hakim allowed Malaysiakini to fuel up.

11.15am: Police chief Ismail Omar tells a press conference in Lahad Datu that the operation is still going on and the Malaysian forces have met some resistance, but thus far they have not sustained any casualty. The number of enemy casualties is also unknown.

When asked about Philippine media reports that Malaysian fighters jets had erroneously dropped bombs on friendly positions, Ismail says this could not be verified yet, but ground commanders are reporting that the operation is progressing on schedule.

He adds that the operation zone is about 10 square kilometers.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces General Zulkifli Mat Zain says security forces are "very positive" that there are no civilians in the area. According to him, "certain explosives" were used to ensure that it is safe for ground forces to move in, but declined to disclose further details citing operational security concerns.

11.05am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak tells a mega rally of ulamas and administrators in Bukit Jalil that the government will not compromise on the nation's sovereignty.

“The latest news is that at 10am just now, Malaysian security forces launched a large-scale operation to defeat the intruders at Lahad Datu.

“We started with air strike by jet fighters of Royal Malaysian Air Forces, followed by mortar strike and as I'm speaking, the army and police forces, along with other members (of the security forces) following behind, are taking action to arrest and destroy the group which has breached the nation's sovereignty.”

11.02am: Oil palm plantation workers are seen gathering under a makeshift shed. They have been asked to stop work as the police spread around the plantation, which is near the battleground.

Also with the workers is Sabri Abdullah, 49, who has been unable to return home because of the police cordon.

"I've been waiting to go home since this morning. I'm hungry and I not have any food," he tells Malaysiakini.

"I can't go out to town for food either. We're poor people, we don't have money so we prepare our own food."

10.57pm: Police have widened their cordon around the conflict area farther outwards, effectively sealing off all entry points around Kampung Tanduo.

Police with rifles are seen taking up position (right) among oil palm trees near the area, watching for intruders who escape.

10.45am: The Philippine media reports President Benigno Aquino's spokesperson as saying that Manila had done all it could to avoid a violent end to a stand-off in Sabah.

"We've done everything we could to prevent this, but in the end, (Jamalul) Kiram's people chose this path," Secretary Ricky Carandang says.

 

10.43am: The Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur reveals there was a last-minute meeting at midnight yesterday between its Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F del Rosario with Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman and Defence Minister Ahmad Zamid Hamidi.

The meeting, held in Kuala Lumpur, was to discuss ways to peacefully resolve the stand-off in Lahad Datu.

Present were Philippine ambassador J Eduardo Malaya, Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary-general Mohd Radzi Abdul Rahman and other officials from the embassy and the Malaysian foreign affairs and defence ministries.

The embassy says that Foreign Affairs Secretary del Rosario flew to Kuala Lumpur early yesterday evening.  

10.17am: Quoting a report from ANC News Channel, InterAksyon.com reports that bombs were being dropped about a kilometre from where Azzimudie Kiram and his men were located.

Leader Azzimudie says his group could not yet determine if the bombs were meant to target them or their followers, but they remained safe and secure and were ready to fight back.

In Manila, a group of protesters arrive at the Malaysia embassy to condemn the attack. But the police are stopping the protesters from getting close to the embassy, which is located in Makati City, the city's financial centre.

10.15am: Azzimudie Kiram vents his anger at the Philippine government in a radio interview with InterAksyon.com, the online news portal of Philippine TV channel TV5.

“The government is ordering the arrest of our companions even if we haven't done anything bad. It's like we aren't Filipinos," he says.

Abraham Idjarani, spokesperson for the sultanate, tells radio station dzBB that Azzimudie had phoned to inform them of the start of the assault."There is nothing to be done about that now," Idjirani says in a separate interview with AFP.He stressed that Azzimudie's earlier announcement that they will fight to the end remains.

"We are not intruders. They (Malaysians) are the ones occupying our ancestral land," he says.

10.09am: Police have set up a checkpoint on the main road in Tanjung Labian, about 5km from the site of hostilities. No one is allowed within 50km radius of the area.

The sounds of bombings have stopped over the last hour. It is unclear whether ground troops have moved in as Kampung Tanduo has been off-limits to journalists since the stand-off began. 

10.05am: In Manila, a team of police and journalists are gathering outside the Malaysian embassy. They are expecting a group of protesters to arrive there.

9.55am: Azzimudie Kiram confirmed in an interview with ABS-CBN's dzMM radio that Malaysian forces are using fighter jets in the latest attack on their position in Lahad Datu.

He also expressed his disappointment with Philippine President Benigno Aquino's position on the crisis.

He said that the governments of Malaysia and the Philippines have obviously stopped listening to their calls for a peaceful resolution of the stand-off.

9.45am: According to ABS-CBN news, prior to this morning's attack, Azzimudie Kiram, who is leading the armed group at Kampung Tanduo, told dzMM that he is unfazed by the plans of the Malaysian government to deploy more troops to Sabah to neutralise them.

Azzimudie said he and his troops will stay put despite repeated calls from both the Philippine and Malaysian governments for them to end the stand-off. "This is now the time. We will have to be committed to fight for our rights. I'm asking them (Filipinos) to do something to support us.

"They cannot frighten us because we are fighting for our rights – the rights of the Bangsa Sulu and in general, the Filipinos. That is, if the Philippine government still consider us Filipinos," he adds.

9.41am: Philippine radio station dzBB reports that Sulu sultanate spokesperson Abraham Idjarani says Azzimudie Kiram has confirmed the launch of the assault and that a jet fighter had allegedly dropped at least two bombs.However, Idjirani claims the bombs had hit Malaysian positions and not that of Azzimudie's group.

The radio station also says the battle came 107 years to the day when the 1906 Battle of Bud Dajo in Sulu began.The battle, in which some 1,000 Tausug, including women and children, were killed by American soldiers is also called the 'Massacre of Bud Dajo'.

9.37am: According to a military source, the operation involved fighter jets, artillery as well as foot soldiers moving in for the mop-up operations.

9.15am: In Lahad Datu town, about 120km from the battleground, preparations are being made at the main hospital to receive casualties.

9.11am: It is learnt that seven army battalions are deployed the area to reinforce police force.

8.54am: A Felda official arrived and told Kampung Sungai Merah village chief Rauf Bani to make a head count of his villagers and register them.
The entire group, numbering at around 300 then made their way into an oil palm road away from the conflict site.

8.45am: Fleeing villagers from Kampung Sungai Merah, about 2km from the gun battle, are seen squeezed onto lorries, with close to 50 of them on each vehicle leaving the area.
Village chief Rauf Bani says they attempted to flee to nearby Kampung Embara Budi but they were turned away.
"The guards say they wouldn't let us in so we came here," he says.
They are parked on the main road leading away from Kampung Tanduo where the battle is taking place.

8.34am: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein posts a photo of him briefing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on the ground situation in his Twitter account.

8.28am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announces that the security forces have launched an operation to apprehend the armed
intruders at Kg Tanduo at 7am today.

“As a peace-loving Muslim country that upholds the resolution of conflicts through negotiation, our efforts to avoid bloodshed were unsuccessful. Instead, our security forces were attacked and slain, while Malaysians especially those in Sabah fear for their safety.

“The government must take appropriate action to safeguard the dignity and sovereignty of the nation as demanded by the rakyat,” he says.

"The police held meetings and negotiations in the hope that the intruders would agree to leave peacefully without the need to take any serious legal action.

"As the issue of the intrusion prolonged, it was evident to the authorities that the intruders had no intention of withdrawing from Sabah," he adds.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino is reported to have warned the intruders, who are followers of the Sulu sultan: “You will not succeed.”
A total of 26 people, including eight Malaysian police officers, have been killed in clashes with the intruders over the past week.
The group in Sabah is being led by the sultan's brother, Azzimudie Kiram, who has refused to surrender. 

8.24am: Explosions are heard about 7.30am, near Kampung Tanduo which is occupied by a group of foreign intruders. Villagers have started fleeing.

"They've starting bombing the area. We saw jet fighters in the sky, they bombed the place four times," says villager Nasir Asrama, 38.

The villagers are from Kampung Sungai Merah, a neighbouring coastal village of Kampung Tanduo where some 100 heavily armed intruders from the Philippines have holed up.

Kampung Tanduo sits between Tanjung Labian and Kampung Sungai Merah which are 5km and 2km apart respectively.