Malaysia Bombs Filipino Invaders

Military moves to end weeks-long Borneo standoff
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 5, 2013 12:03 AM CST
Malaysia Bombs Filipino Invaders
A group of Malaysian police commandos stand guard near where Filipino gunmen earlier ambushed and killed five Malaysian policemen.   (AP Photo/Bernama News Agency)

Malaysia has launched airstrikes and mortar attacks against nearly 200 Filipinos occupying a coastal village in Borneo in a push to end a bizarre three-week siege that has turned into a security nightmare for both Malaysia and the Philippines. The assault follows firefights this past week that killed eight Malaysian police officers and 19 Filipino gunmen, some of whom were members of a Muslim clan that shocked Malaysia by slipping by boat past naval patrols last month and storming an obscure village in eastern Borneo.

Malaysian officials say ground forces have encountered resistance from gunmen firing at them. The Filipino clansmen, armed with rifles and grenade launchers, had refused to leave the area, staking a long-dormant claim to Malaysia's entire state of Sabah, which they insisted was their ancestral birthright. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak defended the offensive, saying the country had made every effort to resolve the siege peacefully. "For our sovereignty and stability, we will not allow even an inch of Malaysian territory to be threatened or taken by anyone," he said. (More Borneo stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X