Malaysia hunts for invaders as ‘more fighters join’

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Malaysia on Wednesday escalated its hunt for armed Filipino invaders who dodged a military assault meant to crush them, as a Philippine guerrilla warned more fighters had arrived.

Malaysia’s police chief said followers of a self-styled sultan had scattered after an air and ground attack Tuesday on their stronghold in eastern Sabah state, aimed at ending the country’s worst security crisis in years.

“We have expanded the operations area from the original area I mentioned yesterday to specific areas nearby,” Ismail said in Felda Sahabat, a village about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the site of the three-week standoff.