2 Soldiers, 3 gunmen killed in Malaysia's Borneo standoff

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 13): 2 Soldiers, 3 gunmen killed in Malaysia's Borneo standoff

A Malaysian soldier and three gunmen were killed in fresh gunfights while another soldier died in a road accident Tuesday, raising the death toll to 68 in a month-long standoff with the Sulu militants in Malaysia 's Sabah state.

Armed forces chief Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said the three gunmen, who were in a group of five militants, were killed near the coastal Tanjung Batu village Tuesday morning.

The fresh casualties came after police declared they had retaken one of the villages occupied by the militants.

Sabah police chief Hamza Taib said a soldier was killed after his vehicle crashed when transporting supplies to the conflict zone.

Police also captured six Sulu terrorist suspects in a raid following and one of them was a high-risk criminal on the wanted list.

More gunmen are believed to have been killed as security forces continued house-by-house search in two villages, including Tanjung Batu, to flush out the militants who showed no signs of surrender.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin made a morale-boosting visit to the troops in Sabah Tuesday.

A group of more than 180 militants arrived in the east coastal town of Lahad Datu in Sabah from southern Philippines on Feb. 9 to claim territorial rights to the land.

They claimed to be followers of a defunct Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who demanded Sabah be returned to his sultanate.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told a TV talk show late Tuesday that both Kuala Lumpur and Manila are looking into the claims that the intrusion may be intrigued by unknown group.

Najib said he was told by Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III that the gunmen might be externally funded. "But we will need concrete evidence before pointing finger at anyone."

Civilians who fled Sabah said many villagers trapped in the standoff need food and medical treatment.

The Malaysian troops have been battling with the Philippine militants since March 1 in an intense standoff that left 68 dead, including eight policemen and a soldier.

Malaysia launched an all-out raid code names "Sovereign Operation" that included airstrikes and ground assaults on several areas Tuesday to wipe out the militants.

Thousands of Filipinos have also fled Sabah for their home country since the violence broke out.

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