KOTA KINABALU: A Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) company commander told the High Court here yesterday that the search for two wounded intruders at Kampung Sungai Nyamuk, Lahad Datu last year was suspended when one of his men, Private Ahmad Hurairah Ismail, was shot dead.
Major Mohd Sukri Ismail said the incident occurred around midday on March 12 last year when his team carried out a search to look for the two intruders who escaped towards an undergrowth after they were wounded in a shoot-out with security forces between 10.15am and 11.30am on the same day.
“I did not continue with the search after Hurairah was shot,” he said.
Asked by deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff whether a police report was lodged on the incident that befell
Ahmad Hurairah, Mohd Sukri said he was not sure, but believed there was.
The company commander told the court that he remained at Kampung Sungai Nyamuk to carry out a cut-off operation until March 14 last year before being assigned to carry out routine operations at the RAMD 7th Battalion’s Tactical Base at Kampung Tanduo.
“From March 22, 2013, my company and I were on standby waiting for further instructions at the Cenderawasih Community College until we returned to (RAMD 7th Battalion) Kukusan Camp in Tawau on March 31, 2013,” he added.
Thirty accused, comprising 27 Filipinos and three local residents, are being tried in the case, in which some are facing multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group or waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or willfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.
They allegedly committed the offences between Feb 12 and April 10 last year.
The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department continues today. — Bernama