Latest From Lahad Datu: House-to-house Mopping

Terkini dari Lahad Datu. Pihak tentera telah menghentikan serangan udara dan sekarang ini sedang mengerakkan serangan darat. Sehingga kini tiada kematian di pihak anggota keselamatan negara walaupun mereka menerima tentangan sengit daripada pihak celaka-celaka Sulu.

Dalam masa yang sama, pihak Kiram pun memainkan perang psikologi apabila medakwa serangan udara tentera Malaysia tidak mengenai sasaran. Maknannya apa yang beliau hendak bagi tahu ialah, serangan udara daripada pihak Malaysia adalah sia-sia sahaja kerana anak buahnya masih selamat.

Boleh percaya ke perkara ini kerana setahu aku, pihak tentera bukannya menyerang membabi buta. Sudah tentu sudah ada maklumat daripada pihak komando kita berkenaan lokasi yang tepat kedudukan penceroboh. Serangan pula dilakukan pada waktu siang, bukannya waktu malam.

Kita tunggulah sehingga perkara ini selesai. pada masa yang sama ada juga rakyat Philipina yang mengadakan piket di kedutaan Malaysia di Philipina yang memprotes serangan ini dan meminta supaya ianya dihentikan.

LAHAD DATU: Malaysian troops are scouring a 4sq km area at Kampung Tanduo, some 130kms from here, following an offensive against Sulu ''terrorists'' that began with air strikes at 7am.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Omar Ismail said Tuesday that despite receiving heavy fire from the 100 or so Sulu gunmen, there were no casualties among Malaysian troops comprising VAT 69 commandos and General Operations Force from the police and soldiers.

''Our personnel are carrying out mopping up operations and conducting house-to-house checks. We cannot ascertain casualties among the enemy's side for now,'' he told a media conference at the Felda Sahabat residence some four hours after the offensive began.

Ismail said there were also no civilian casualty.

He said Malaysian security forces were left with no choice but to defend the nation's sovereignty and preserve its security by launching the offensive.

''They were determined not to surrender despite our best efforts including negotiations and even carpeting the area with thousands of leaflets urging them to lay down their arms,'' Ismail said.
Armed Forces Chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said enemy positions were bombed to ensure the safety of Malaysian security forces.