PENCEROBOHAN LAHAD DATU SABAH (5)

2 Mac 2013

Sedikit informasi dari PDRM, dua anggota yang terkorban dalam Ops Sulu 69 Komando Pasukan Gerak Khas PDRM ialah Insp. Zulkifli Mamat dan Kpl. Sabaruddin Daud manakala Kpl. Azman Ampong, Kpl. Tazmizi Hashim dan Konstabel Mohamed Qayum' Aiqal Zolkipli tercedera dalam serangan mortar oleh kumpulan penceroboh yang mendakwa mereka tentera Diraja Kesultanan Sulu di Lahad Datu

Info Mohd Hazli Hassan Utusan Online

Clampdown in Lahad Datu

KUCHING: Police have declared an immediate curfew in Lahad Datu following the gunfight which broke out between security forces and the Sulu gunmen holed up in Kampung Tanduo since Feb 9.

It is learnt the decision was made as a precautionary measure after two police commandos were killed yesterday when a mortar bomb hit Kampung Tanduo, which had been turned into a fortress by a group of armed Filipino intruders in Lahad Datu.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib confirmed at a press conference in Lahad Datu yesterday that 12 Sulu gunmen were killed in the operation, besides two Malaysian commandos.

“The shootout began after the five elite General Operations Force (GOF) members tightened their perimeter around Kampung Tanduo and were met with gunfire when they stumbled upon the intruders,” Hamza said

He added in the 9.59am incident, the GOF members were forced to return fire and the skirmish lasted some 30 minutes.

Security forces recovered some weapons from the Sulu militants and are now holding their ground around within an area of 10sq-km around the village.

“We also seized weapons such as M16, magazines, bullet, rocket launcher and others. So far, no members of the group fled to the sea and if they ran away they are still in the surrounded areas,” added Hamza.

The two Malaysian police commandos killed are Inspector Zulkifli Mamat and Corporal Sabarudin Daud.

Three others were injured, one of whom is in a critical condition, and they have been hospitalised. It is learned that one of the injured was flown to Hospital Duchess of Kent (HDOK) in Sandakan around 3pm.

They are from VAT69, an elite police commando unit with its roots in counter-insurgency against the communists, and which has since been re-tasked for counter-terrorism and special operations.

Meanwhile, a police source said the operation to weed out Filipino intruders at Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, was an integrated operation carried out by police, armed forces, including the civil defence force, Komando 69 and Marine police.

The situation in Lahad Datu was tense as many shops remained closed while residents living in the area remained indoors for fear of the current standoff between a group of Filipino intruders and the Malaysian security forces.

The Malaysian security forces had surrounded Kampung Tanduo on Feb 11, when about 150 men dressed in military attire and armed, had encroached into Malaysian waters and landed in the village on Feb 9.

Kampung Tanduo where the group was staying is a remote area situated about 130 kilometres from Lahad Datu. The group had identified themselves as the Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate, headed by Agbimuddin Kiram.

Malaysian and the Philippine officials have had numerous negotiations with the group ever since but were futile.

The owner of the house where the leader of the gunmen stayed during the 17-day standoff was also killed but the nationality was not known, Philippine’s Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said in Manila, citing a report by Malaysia’s ambassador.

“The Malaysian ambassador said that the rest of the Kiram group in Lahad Datu escaped and ran toward the sea,” he said, adding that 10 members of the group were arrested.

He said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario asked the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines for a full briefing of the operations conducted by Malaysian forces in Lahad Datu.

He said del Rosario submitted a note verbale to the ambassador, asking for full access to Raja Muda’s group so that the Philippine government could give medical treatment to the wounded and provide consular assistance to the rest of the group. “Secretary del Rosario also requested clearance for the Philippine Navy ship AT-296 BRP Tagbanua to proceed to Lahad Datu to enable Philippine medical personnel aboard to attend to the wounded and ferry them and the remaining members of the group back to their respective homes and families,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kiran’s spokesman Abraham Idjirani was reported by Philippines ABS-CBN News that Kiram’s men would continue to fight and would not leave Sabah.

Info The Borneo Post Online

Peristiwa Pencerobohan di Lahad Datu Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR:

Berikut adalah kronologi pencerobohan kumpulan bersenjata dari selatan Filipina;

9 Februari

Kumpulan penceroboh memasuki perairan negara menggunakan bot pancung dan berkumpul secara berperingkat di Felda Sahabat 17, Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu.

11 Februari

Sebahagian daripada anggota kumpulan itu dikesan sekumpulan nelayan tempatan pada waktu malam dan nelayan tersebut membuat laporan polis mengenai lebih 100 lelaki berpakaian ala tentera dan bersenjata api berkampung di Kampung Tandou.

12 Februari

Kumpulan itu dikenal pasti berpecah di beberapa lokasi di kampung itu iaitu di kawasan sungai bakau kampung itu, sebuah surau di kampung itu dan rumah Ahmad Malandi atau dikenali Mad bon.

14 Februari 

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, kerajaan Malaysia akan melakukan yang terbaik termasuk melalui perundingan, bagi menangani isu pencerobohan tersebut sebelum mengusir mereka keluar dari kawasan itu.

Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar berkata, polis telah mengenal pasti kumpulan warga Filipina yang mendarat di pesisir pantai Lahad Datu, Sabah sebagai pewaris berketurunan ‘Raja Sulu’ dari Selatan Filipina.

Ismail berkata, kumpulan terbabit menuntut mereka dikenali sebagai Askar Diraja Kesultanan Sulu dan mereka tidak mahu rakyatnya berketurunan Sulu dihantar pulang ke negara asal.

Ismail berkata, rundingan dengan pihak bersenjata masih dijalankan bagi mencari jalan penyelesaian yang terbaik tanpa melibatkan pertumpahan darah.

Laporan memetik salah seorang anggota tentera Filipina yang merupakan pengikut setia Raja Muda Sulu, Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram sebagai berkata kedatangan kumpulan tersebut selepas mendapat jemputan pihak pembangkang untuk membincangkan isu tanah di Sabah.

16 Februari

Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein mengesahkan kumpulan tersebut bukan kumpulan militan atau pengganas sebaliknya penyokong kuat ‘Kesultanan Sulu’ dan menegaskan situasi di Kampung Tanduo adalah terkawal.

Kumpulan itu yang mahu dikenali sebagai ‘Askar Diraja Kesultanan Sulu’antara lain menuntut Sabah dikembalikan ke wilayah kesultanan Sulu, kerana sebelum ia diambil British ia di bawah kerajaan Sulu.

18 Februari

Hishammuddin berkata, kerajaan Malaysia dan Filipina sentiasa bekerja rapat dalam menyelesaikan konflik ini dan memberitahu ia akan dilakukan secara diplomasi tanpa sebarang pertumpahan darah.

24 Februari

Kerajaan Filipina menghantar sebuah kapal dalam misi kemanusiaan untuk membawa pulang kumpulan 180 anggota termasuk 30 pengawal bersenjata yang bertahan di Lahad Datu, Sabah sejak 12 Februari lalu.

26 Februari

Tempoh pengusiran mereka tamat namun rundingan masih dijalankan terhadap kumpulan penceroboh itu.

28 Februari

Kerajaan Malaysia digesa mengadakan rundingan secara terus dengan Sultan Jamalul Kiram III di Manila untuk menamatkan konflik perebutan kawasan di Lahad Datu, Sabah yang berlanjutan selama lebih tiga minggu.

Gesaan tersebut disuarakan adik bongsu Jamalul, Agbimuddin Kiram yang menegaskan hanya abangnya boleh mengarahkan kira-kira 180 ‘tentera diraja’ meninggalkan Felda Sahabat 17, Lahad Datu.

1 Mac

Pertempuran tercetus antara pasukan keselamatan dan sekumpulan kecil kumpulan penceroboh ketika kumpulan terbabit cuba keluar daripada kepungan polis di Kampung Tanduo, menyebabkan dua anggota pasukan keselamatan terkorban serta tiga lagi cedera.

Dua belas penceroboh bersenjata terbunuh

Info BERNAMA mStar Online