LAHAD DATU (March 6, 2013): Security forces recovered firearms and nine of the 12 bodies of Sulu gunmen who were killed in a clash with police commandos - two of whom were killed on Friday, in a shallow grave in Kampung Tanduo today.
A second gunman was also shot and killed by security forces at 4.15pm today when he tried to shoot a forensics police personnel who was at work.
Earlier, at 6.45am, an armed Sulu intruder was gunned down after he opened fire at soldiers carrying out a mopping exercise nearby.
Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said at a press conference at 6pm that personnel carrying out mopping and search are looking for the remaining 3 bodies of the enemy and their weapons.
In the second case of gunmen opening fire at security forces today, he said the intruders fled into Kampung Tanjung Batu about 4 km from Kampung Tanduo but one of them was shot dead.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said 10 officers from the police forensics department have been sent into the search operations centre to assist in the exercise. He said police are searching Kampung Tanjung Batu as several gunman are believed to have gone into hiding at the village.
He said there were shootouts in three locations at the operations area and there were no casualties among the police and army personnel today.
The recovered bodies today were those gunned down by VAT 69 police commandos on Friday where a police inspector and his subordinate were shot dead and three other were injured.
Sources also said that police arrested eight men who were in civilian clothing but are suspected to be Sulu intruders.
One of them who was in a small boat at sea was caught by navy commandos and brought to shore opposite the media centre at Felda Sahabat Residence Resort while the rest were arrested at villages here and Semporna.
Earlier in a press conference at 4pm, by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein at the media centre in Felda Sahabat, five photos captured at the affected areas in Kampung Tanduo and of the dead Sulu men's bloated and mud-stained bodies lined up on the ground, a tomb the intruders had created for their dead colleagues, their assault rifles and the gunmen who were killed this morning, was shown to reporters by the ministers.
Hishamuddin said the photos are proof that the incident was not an act or a lie as rumoured but a reality. Ahmad Zahid said security forces have secured Kampung Tanduo following the mopping exercise.
Even though it has been more than a day since the massive air and ground strike pounded Kampung Tanduo, not a single body of a dead intruder has been found.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/630048
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