3 Dead in Malaysia Standoff: Reports

At least two police officers and a number of others were killed as Malaysian authorities attempted to drive out some 100 armed Filipinos occupying the country's eastern Sabah state, according to Malaysia state news. The Filipino backers of the Sultanate of Sulu, in the southern Philippines, have spent almost two weeks in the area; they say it's their land, the BBC notes. The Malaysian police were killed in a mortar attack that wounded two others, Malaysian state news reports; the Filipino group says 10 members were killed in the showdown. Philippines officials, however, say one member was killed, 10 surrendered, and the others fled, Reuters reports. (More Malaysia stories.)