The police suffered six casualties, up one from what was initially reported, he told a press conference at Felda Sabahat Residence, Lahad Datu tonight.
"After our operation ended at 7pm today. We found another body of our police officer, so the total is six," he said.
Ismail added that police also discovered six other bodies whose identities could not be ascertained.
"We believe they are the bodies of the enemies," he said.
He added that the all of surviving 19 police officers who had gone into the village were also safely out of the village.
"We have gotten all of them out safely and they are now at the Semporna district police headquarters.
"With this latest development, the Semporna incident is over and the situation has returned to normal," he said.
Police were not trapped
The bodies of the killed police officers have also been recovered.
Ismail added that a criminal investigation team is now there to mop up the area and determine the identities of the unknown bodies.
Ismail insisted that at no stage were any police officers held hostage when asked if the 19 police survivors were trapped in the village.
"There are over 300 houses there, it's a very large area and we wanted to check house to house (that there were no other police officers left) before we made a statement on them," he said.
He added that the names of the police officers killed in action would be released only after all their families are notified.
Asked if one of the police officer killed was beheaded, Ismail replied: "The bodies have been brought to the hospital and I am waiting for the report, don't believe in rumours".
Biggest security crisis in years
This latest clash, described by AFP as Malaysia's biggest security crisis of recent years, occurred when police were "ambushed" by gunmen, Ismail told reporters this morning.
Semporna is 150km from Tanduo village, where an estimated 100-300 people have been encircled by Malaysian police and soldiers since landing by boat from the Philippines on Feb 12 to claim the area for their leader.
The 74-year-old Manila-based leader, Jamalul Kiram III, claims to be heir to the Islamic sultanate of Sulu, which once controlled parts of the southern Philippines and the modern-day Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island.
Malaysian officials called for calm but various reports painted a picture of chaos in the area.
It was not immediately made clear whether the Semporna attackers were still at large. Meanwhile, Ismail said police were pursuing yet another group of armed men in Kunak, another town in the region.
"I don't want speculation that Sabah is in crisis," Ismail told an earlier news conference. "We have our security forces at three places to respond."
The new incidents sparked Malaysian fears of a wider campaign by other intruders or their supporters in Sabah, which has large numbers of Filipino immigrants - both legal and illegal.
The Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur issued a statement urging calm among Filipinos. "We feel and understand the anxieties felt by many of you at these difficult times," it said.
"This is not the time to undertake any action that might be misunderstood by some parties."
The situation is delicate for the Southeast Asian neighbours.
Sabah crisis slap in the face for Najib
The Philippine government is looking to consolidate recent progress in mending fences with Islamic separatists in its partly Muslim south.
The government of Muslim-majority Malaysia, meanwhile, could face pressure at home if harsh action is taken against the Islamic Filipino intruders, which also could inflame Sabah's many Filipinos.
Following Friday's firefight Malaysian police threatened "drastic action" if they did not surrender.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who has sharply criticised the intruders, has also urged them to give up.
But Kiram's spokesman Abraham Idjirani repeated today his followers would not budge. He said the sultan would seek the intervention of the United States, which colonised the Philippines in the early 1900s.
"(Malaysians) want to hide the truth - that they do not own Sabah. It is owned by us," he said in an interview on Philippine radio.
Sabah state police chief Hamza Taib said several villagers in Semporna beat to death a man armed with a M-16 rifle who had gathered several people at a mosque on Sunday.
The sensational events have embarrassed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak - who must call elections by June - by exposing lax border security and fuelling perceptions of lawlessness and massive illegal immigration into Sabah.
If security in Sabah worsens, Najib could be forced to delay the election and he would be vulnerable to criticism over the government's handling of the problem.
Intrusion could be linked to Moro peace deal
Lim Kit Siang, a top opposition leader, said the government was not being forthcoming enough with information from Sabah and the police fatalities "could have been avoided if the whole situation had been properly handled".
The Sulu sultanate's power faded about a century ago but it has continued to receive nominal Malaysian payments for Sabah under a lease deal inherited from European colonial powers.
Kiram's people are demanding Malaysia recognise that the sultanate owns Sabah and share profits from economic development in the state.
According to Reuters, the trouble looks to be at least partly the result of efforts to forge peace in the southern Philippines, in particular a peace deal signed between the Philippine government
and Muslim rebels last October to end a 40-year conflict.
Jamalul Kiram, a former sultan of Sulu and brother of the man Philippine provincial authorities regard as sultan, said the peace deal had handed control of much of Sulu to Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, ignoring the sultanate.
The sultan loyalists had gone to Malaysia to revive their claim to Sabah as a protest in response to what they saw as the unfair peace deal, he said.
Nigel Aw
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteSememangnya topik pencerobohan “tentera Diraja Kesultanan Sulu” yang mencemar kedaulatan negara menjadi perbualan hangat sekarang. Terpampang didada akhbar dan pelbagai media mengenai insiden berdarah itu.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteBermacam-macam jenis gambar turut tersiar dan tidak kurang juga cerita-cerita yang ditokok tambah disiarkan oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab. Paling tak tahan, gambar keganasan yang meletus di Narathiwat, Thailand, juga disiarkan sama…
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteSehingga kini, disahkan secara rasmi bahawa sudah 7 orang anggota PDRM telah terkorban di dalam pertempuran dengan gerila Sulu yang mengganas di Sabah itu. Antara kawasan yang disyaki telah disusup masuk penceroboh-penceroboh itu ialah Lahad Datu, Semporna dan Kunak.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteMeskipun sudah menyenaraikan seramai 7 mangsa dari kalangan anggota PDRM, pihak berkuasa itu menegaskan bahawa keadaan di ketiga-tiga lokasi terbabit adalah selamat.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteKenyataan itu disokong oleh siaran media arus perdana yang menunjukkan rakyat di Lahad Datu masih bebas membeli belah di pekan Lahad Datu dan mereka masih lagi boleh keluar berkerja seperti biasa. Tahniah kepada pasukan keselamatan yang berjaya memastikan keadaan selamat di kawasan-kawasan tersebut.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeletePun begitu, ramai lagi mereka-mereka yang masih suka mencari populariti dengan mensensasikan kejadian-kejadian yang berlaku di sana. Gambar-gambar operasi pasukan keselamatan di merata kawasan itu disiarkan sewenang-wenangnya.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteTidakkah mereka sedar bahawa siaran gambar-gambar tersebut di internet bakal mendedahkan maklumat keselamatan negara kepada penceroboh-penceroboh tersebut?
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteMisalnya, jika kita menyiarkan gambar pasukan keselamatan yang berkawal di depan simpang tiga tertentu di Lahad Datu, sudah tentu penceroboh dari Filipina itu dapat menghidu lokasi tersebut dan mengelak dari menggunakan jalan terbabit.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteBukankah itu tindakan yang tidak wajar? Janganlah berbangga dengan siaran yang kononnya eksklusif yang mampu menjejaskan keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara ini…
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteJusteru itu, saya merayu kepada semua pengguna internet yang sayangkan Malaysia supaya jangan sesekali menyiarkan tentang gerakan atau informasi pasukan PDRM dan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia diluar sana.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteBukan apa, dalam hal seperti ini, tindakan yang melulu pasti akan membawa padah. Seharusnya, gunakan akal yang dikurniakan Allah untuk mempertahankan kedaulatan negara ini.
LAGI RAMAI ANGGOTA KESELAMATAN KITA AKAN TERBUNUH JIKA SETIAP GERAKAN MEREKA DIDEDAHKAN DI INTERNET
ReplyDeleteMungkin kita tidak mampu berjuang mengangkat senjata, tapi sekurang-kurangnya kita berjuang menggunakan akal yang kita ada. Tak salah, kan?
Bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyifatkan perbuatan kumpulan penceroboh bersenjata di Lahad Datu dan Semporna, Sabah sebagai bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam.
ReplyDeleteBeliau berkata kumpulan itu bertindak ganas sehingga menyebabkan pertumpahan darah dan kehilangan nyawa lapan anggota pasukan keselamatan negara dalam dua kejadian berasingan di kedua-dua lokasi serangan itu.
ReplyDelete“Kita cuba nak selesaikan perkara ini tanpa pertumpahan darah, tetapi kita dapati orang Sulu ini ganas, mereka bukan sahaja membunuh askar kita tetapi cederakan orang yang sudah mati.
ReplyDelete“Kononnya mereka orang Islam tetapi perbuatan mereka tidak mengikut kehendak agama Islam,” katanya
ReplyDeleteDr Mahathir berkata kerajaan perlu mengambil tindakan segera supaya dapat mengalahkan kumpulan penceroboh itu dan menghadapkan mereka ke mahkamah kerana membunuh.
ReplyDeleteBeliau juga khuatir situasi akan menjadi lebih buruk kerana kumpulan penceroboh ini akan tetap meneruskan keganasan mereka secara berpanjangan walaupun akan kalah dalam pertempuran.
ReplyDelete“Saya khuatir apabila kita lihat apa yang berlaku di Filipina, bila ada pemberontakan daripada rakyat mereka, ia berpanjangan dan tidak mudah dihentikan.
ReplyDelete“Sebab itu saya harap kerajaan akan mengambil tindakan yang keras dan tegas supaya tidak berlarutan,” katanya sambil mengucapkan takziah kepada keluarga anggota pasukan keselamatan yang terkorban dalam insiden itu.
ReplyDeleteThree former military officials urged people to support the efforts of the authorities dealing with the terrorist invasion of Sulu in Lahad Datu and Semporna, Sabah, and maintain the confidentiality of the movement of security forces.
ReplyDeleteMajor (Rtd) Wan Hashim Wan Ahmad, who served in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said people should not be questioned any steps taken to resolve the security crisis. "People, including political bloggers are asked to cooperate and do not produce negative statement will divide the community. If true this incident is related to an outsider, it appears the country has managed to deflect enemy morale," he told Bernama today.
ReplyDelete"This kind of information can all be abused, there are certain individuals who make the" print screen "display sms to publish the telephone number of police officers who are involved in terrorist hunting operation there, imagine if this information is misused," he said.
ReplyDeleteBlogger Commando Café, better known as Major (Rtd) Naza Talib also urged the public to continue to support the police and the army without having disputing which team is more fitting handle the issue.
ReplyDeleteHe also asked the people who had friends among the security personnel so that no longer display the contents of text messages on social sites such as Facebook or Twitter.
ReplyDeletekini penceroboh dah digempur, kematian pejuang2 kita akan dibela
ReplyDelete