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Up to 12 Filipinos Killed in Sabah – PM Razak
By Reuters
March 1, 2013, 3:24pm
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/MANILA, Philippines — A standoff between Malaysian security forces and armed Filipinos ended in violence on Friday, with two police officers and up to 12 members of the Philippine group killed as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak declared his patience had run out.
Najib, quoted by state news agency Bernama, confirmed the Malaysian police deaths and said that 10 to 12 Filipinos had been killed after their group tried to break through a security cordon around a village where they had been holed up for more than two weeks.
About 100 followers of the Sultanate of Sulu in the southern Philippines landed in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah last month demanding recognition and payment from the Malaysian government. Both the Philippine and Malaysian governments had repeatedly urged them to return home.
Most of the group was still at large after fleeing the fighting and Malaysian police declared a curfew in the area. Najib said he had now given Malaysian security forces a mandate to take “any action” against the group.
“Do not test our patience, our patience has reached the limit,” he was quoted as saying earlier.
“We have a plan to remove them, they should have surrendered and left," said Najib, who must call national elections by April and has come under pressure from the opposition for allowing the bizarre standoff to drag on.
Three Malaysian police officers were wounded in the shoot-out, police said.
By Reuters
March 1, 2013, 3:24pm
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia/MANILA, Philippines — A standoff between Malaysian security forces and armed Filipinos ended in violence on Friday, with two police officers and up to 12 members of the Philippine group killed as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak declared his patience had run out.
Najib, quoted by state news agency Bernama, confirmed the Malaysian police deaths and said that 10 to 12 Filipinos had been killed after their group tried to break through a security cordon around a village where they had been holed up for more than two weeks.
About 100 followers of the Sultanate of Sulu in the southern Philippines landed in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah last month demanding recognition and payment from the Malaysian government. Both the Philippine and Malaysian governments had repeatedly urged them to return home.
Most of the group was still at large after fleeing the fighting and Malaysian police declared a curfew in the area. Najib said he had now given Malaysian security forces a mandate to take “any action” against the group.
“Do not test our patience, our patience has reached the limit,” he was quoted as saying earlier.
“We have a plan to remove them, they should have surrendered and left," said Najib, who must call national elections by April and has come under pressure from the opposition for allowing the bizarre standoff to drag on.
Three Malaysian police officers were wounded in the shoot-out, police said.
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