LAHAD DATU: A Sulu militant was shot dead after he assaulted the Malaysian security forces personnel with a ‘barong’ (a type of machete) during a search on a house in Kampung Simunul, Semporna, yesterday.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the incident occurred when the security team was carrying out an integrated mopping up and search operation in the village at 8.40am.
He said the man, in his 60s, suddenly tried to hack the body of a member of the security personnel using the sharp object.
“During the assault, the security personnel managed to fire a shot at his assailant. However, no major injuries suffered by our man.
“Initial investigation found that the assailant was the bodyguard and an aide to Sulu terrorist, known as ‘Imam Tua’,” he told a press conference at the operation centre in Felda Sahabat 16 here yesterday.
‘Imam Tua’ is one of the terrorists killed in the gun battle with the national security forces at the water village on March 2, which also claimed the lives of six Malaysian policemen.
Hamza said following a search on the house, the security forces team arrested two women, aged 45 and 30, who were the wife and daughter of the militant.
Both of them did not have any valid travel documents and were currently detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), he said.
He said four men were also arrested during the operation.
Hamza said the national security forces had so far killed 68 terrorists, while arresting 121 individuals to facilitate investigation under Sosma and 443 others under other Acts.
Meanwhile, Hamza said village chiefs and household heads in Kampung Tanjung Batu would be allowed to join the assessment team and the National Security Council staff to assess the damage on their houses and village before they were allowed to return home on Saturday. — Bernama