12 die in latest skirmish

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ADDITIONAL FORCE: Soldiers of the 21st Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) from Eighth Brigade Camp Pangkalan Chepa boarding plane for Lahad Datu as additional batalion to monitor the situation in Lahad Datu. — Bernama photo

ADDITIONAL FORCE: Soldiers of the 21st Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) from Eighth Brigade Camp Pangkalan Chepa boarding plane for Lahad Datu as additional batalion to monitor the situation in Lahad Datu. — Bernama photo

Casualties rise in clashes with intruders, violence spreads to Semporna

LAHAD DATU: The bodies of six policemen who were killed in an ambush by gunmen during a security sweep at Kampung Seri Jaya Simunul in Semporna on Saturday night were recovered by a police strike force yesterday afternoon.

The force also found the bodies of six gunmen in the area.

This was disclosed by Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar at a press conference here last night.

It was initially reported that five policemen and two of the gunmen were killed but the search in the area revealed the 12 casualties.

“We recovered the five bodies of policemen and found another one, bringing the death toll of our security forces to six.

“During the operation, we also found six other bodies, believed to be the gunmen,” said Ismail.

In a rescue operation launched yesterday and which ended at 7pm, police also managed to bring out 19 of their men to safety from the village.

At a press conference at 9pm held at Felda Sahabat, Kampung Tanduo, here, Ismail also said that the bodies of the six policemen killed had been taken to  Semporna Hospital.

“Their identities will be revealed to their respective families before being posted on the official website of the Royal Malaysian Police,” he said.

He had said that the policemen from the Semporna district police headquarters were tasked to carry out investigation in the village after police received information on the presence of a group of armed men in the village.

He said the policemen were shot at while approaching a house in the village and they fired back to defend themselves.

At last night’s press conference, Ismail denied that policemen were held hostage in the incident and were decapitated by the intruders.

“This is just a rumour and I ask the public not to believe any rumour on the incident,” he said.

He added that the situation in the village had returned to normal.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who has sharply criticised the intruders has urged the intruders fom Sulu to surrender unconditionally. — Agencies