Malaysia unswayed by Sulu sultan's threat of guerilla war: official

From the Philippine News Agency/Xinhua (Mar 18): Malaysia unswayed by Sulu sultan's threat of guerilla war: official

Senior Malaysian security officials on Monday expressed confidence to end the deadly standoff in Sabah of North Borneo by flushing out the Sulu gunmen, while the Sulu Sultan called upon a guerilla war against the security forces.

Sabah police chief Hamza Taib said the security forces believe that there are less than 50 gunmen remaining in the conflict zone.

He said the troops were undisturbed by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III 's call for a guerrilla war in Malaysia.

"Jamalul Kiram can say anything he wants. We are all out to flush them out," Hamza was quoted as saying by the state news agency, Bernama.

Some 200 of Kiram's followers landed in Sabah last month to stake a territorial claim on the land. Ten security forces and more than 60 gunmen were killed during the month-long standoff.

Malaysian security forces launched an all-out attack on March 5 after negotiations broke down.

Hamza said two clashes between the security forces and the terrorists occurred on Monday morning.

Malaysia and the Philippine governments were discussing on a request to claim the bodies of 28 gunmen who were killed in the mopping up operations by security forces, he added.

It is estimated that as many as 800,000 Filipinos, including a large Sulu community, are working or living in Sabah. However, they are not likely provide support for the Sulu gunmen, as many of them are already Malaysian citizens, said Danny Wong, director of global planning and strategy center at the University of Malaya.

"They will not like their peaceful lives to be ruined," he told Xinhua.

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