Navy, military heighten security near Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Philippine Navy and military heightened the security in the border near Sabah, according to a senior military official here, after the Malaysian surrounded about a hundred men wearing fatigue uniforms which reportedly came from Sulu.

Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, commanding officer of Western Mindanao Command, said they have received information about the “stand off” in Sabah.

But there was no confirmation if those Filipinos in military uniforms rounded by the Malaysian authorities belonged with the Abu Sayyaf group.

“We have out Naval Task Force 62 deployed their water assets to secure the border,” Ardo said.

Ardi added that a naval plane was also deployed as reinforcement to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.

The Malaysia’s news agency Bernama reported that the armed group landed in Lahad Datuh, Sabah since Wednesday and were surrounded by Malaysian security forces ordering them to surrender.

The Malaysian authorities were checking if the armed men came from the Sulu where hostilities broke last week.

It will be recalled the Moro National Liberation Front forces under Ustadz Habier Malik launched attacked on the Abu Sayyaf group under one-armed senior militant leader Radullan Sahiron to force the group into releasing foreign hostages taken by the militants.

The Abu Sayyaf group escaped with 21 followers killed but there was no sign of captive Jordanian broadcast journalists Baker Abdullah Atyani, bureau chief of the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel.

Atyani’s two Filipino crewmen were freed ahead of the MNLF offensive last Feb. 2 in Patikul, Sulu.