Malaysian troops backed by fighter jets have attacked an armed Filipino group, trying to end a standoff on Borneo island after violence that killed at least 27 people and sparked fears of broader insecurity in the resource-rich region.
Planes bombed the area in eastern Sabah state on Tuesday for more than 30 minutes before hundreds of ground troops moved in to search for around 180 members of the self-proclaimed Royal Sulu Army believed to be hiding near a coastal palm-oil plantation, Malaysian officials said.
The armed group, who hail from the southern Philippines, landed in a coastal village in Sabah on February 9 to claim the territory as their own, citing ownership documents from the late 1800s.
Police inspector general Ismail Omar told reporters the mission’s goals had been accomplished and there were no Malaysian casualties, without giving further details.
Relatives of the group who have been in touch with the gunmen by phone from Manila said they had survived the bombardment.
“They are safe, they are intact,” Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman for the group, told Philippine television.