Malaysia Hunts Filipino Intruders on Borneo After Offensive
A day after launching airstrikes and mortar shells in a remote part of the island of Borneo, Malaysian security forces searched house-to-house Wednesday for gunmen from the Philippines who infiltrated the area last month and clashed with police.
The group of Filipino men is believed to number between 100 and 300.
It arrived three weeks ago on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah, on Borneo, demanding recognition as representatives of an old sultanate that ruled the area.
Efforts by Malaysian and Philippine authorities to persuade the men to return peacefully to their homes in the nearby southern Philippines failed, and the standoff descended into clashes last week that reportedly left 28 people dead, including nine police officers.
Malaysian security forces said their offensive Tuesday, which involved fighter jets, mortars and ground troops, achieved its objectives
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