KUALA LUMPUR, March 13- Clashes between the security forces erupted after a 48-hour lull in Lahad Datu, Sabah leading to the death of a soldier and two Sulu terrorists in Sungai Nyamuk near Tanjung Batu.
“In the ensuing gun battle, two enemies were killed, but unfortunately a soldier died while another injured,” Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib(pic) told a news conference at 8 pm in Lahad Datu.
Another soldier was also killed on the eighth day of Ops Daulat today when the army truck he was driving skidded along Jalan Lahad Datu-Cenderawasih, bringing the total security forces casualties to 10. Although sorrow lingers over the loss of two soldiers today, the news that Kampung Tanduo, the site of Sulu terrorists landing on Feb 12, was declared free of the terrorists after one month brought relief to the security forces and the public.
Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, who made the announcement, said the mopping-up operations were now extended to Sungai Nyamuk, Kampung Tanjung Batu and Kampung Labian. So far the police confirmed that 56 terrorists had been killed with 24 bodies retrieved from the battle grounds while 97 suspects had been arrested over alleged involvement with the terrorists and 196 for entering restricted areas.
In Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had opened two investigations papers on the intrusion and would consult the Attorney-General’s Chambers to determine the law that could be meted out against suspects arrested for either allegedly abetting or directly involved with the Sulu terrorists.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced three types of assistance for villagers affected by “Ops Daulat” following the terrorist intrusion in Kampung Tanduo and Tanjung Batu. They are a compassionate assistance of RM1,000 for each family, reconstruction cost of destroyed houses at RM50,000 each house besides cost of minor repairs of damaged houses as well as the rescheduling of repayment of loans taken by traders under Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) and Amanah Ikhtiar.
For the reconstruction of houses, Muhyiddin said residents could choose to receive the aid directly or they jointly move in a group by consulting local leaders to another location and that the government would build a people’s housing project for them.
He said all assistance would only be disbursed to residents who are citizens holding identity cards and valid birth documents. “The NSC is conducting a census and is distributing forms to the residents to be filled so that we can ascertain the actual number of citizens affected,” he told reporters during his visit to Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu.
Apart from the two fallen soldiers, eight policemen had been killed in Ops Daulat so far – two in Kampung Tanduo on March 1 and six more in Semporna the next day.
BERNAMA
