LAHAD DATU: Entering Kampung Tanduo, a red zone that had witnessed the arrival of Sulu militants in Sabah, this writer could not help but feel a sense of panic although she was accompanied by security forces.
On Monday, April 8, together with 10 other members of the media, we were part of the first group of crew members to enter the high alert area, where two members of the Malaysian police VAT 69 commando force had been killed by militants from southern Philippines.
The two commandos, downed during the attack on March 1, were ASP Zulkifli Mamat from Besut, Terengganu, and Sergeant Sabaruddin Daud from Sabak Bernam, Selangor.
While there had been the initial hiccup when entering the zone, amid the tight security enforced by the Malaysian armed forces throughout the route that led to Kampung Tanduo, we finally made it into the village, with permission granted by the Sabah Police Chief Commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib.
However, upon entering the village, emotions ran high for us, between elation and nervousness, imagining any remaining terrorists lurking behind our backs and aiming their guns at us.
Fortunately for us, the tight security, provided by the police force accompanying us, and the armed forces that had set up camps around the village, left us feeling more secured.
The bullet-proof vests and safety helmets, provided by the office, also added to the tight defence, besides the constant prayers to "keep everything smooth and alright."
Our time in Kampung Tanduo also provided more than the anticipated experience of visiting the location, where a battle had just ensued and left a black mark in the country's history.
Coincidentally, at the same time, a forensics team was also preparing to dig up the graves of terrorists, who had been buried by their fellow invaders.
At about one in the afternoon that day, a man, who had been paid to do the job, dug up three graves that were sniffed out by police tracker dogs earlier. The graves were located close to the army camps.
Fifteen bodies, believed to be those who were killed in the battle with security forces on March 1, were taken out.
While it was exciting at first to see the grave-digging process in close proximity, this writer had to run for cover when an overwhelming stench took over and the reality of the sight of decaying, dead bodies hit home.
Most of them were still in their full regalia, including a female terrorist.
Heavy rains interrupted the grave-digging process a couple of times and delayed it, with the police eventually finishing up their work of taking out the bodies only at five in the evening.
All the bodies were taken to Hospital Lahad Datu for post mortem examination.
We were lucky and managed to visit the village the second day as well, this time with the Deputy Police Commissioner of Sabah, Datuk Tan Kok Liang, who wanted to check out some of the locations, where the battle between the security forces and the invaders had taken place.
An entourage in 12 vehicles, under the tight security and guard of the police and the army, headed to the locations.
What was obvious was that almost all the houses had been damaged because of the struggles that had taken place. In some of the houses, only beams were left standing, while other houses were left with roofs and were in battered conditions. They were akin to some scenes, usually seen on the television, where news of wars in other parts of the world is reported.
The battle and destruction apparently came about when the militant group refused to retreat from Kampung Tanduo, after they had been given the opportunity to do so.
The government finally launched its offensive on the terrorists' hideouts through aerial attacks by three F/A 18D Hornet fighter jets.
The Operasi Daulat (Operation Sovereignty) offensive was then continued with five Hawk fighter aircrafts, followed by mortar attacks before the ground attacks began to nab the remaining terrorists.
Our next stop was the house of Mat Bom's son, who had been the informer for the terrorists.
The house had been destroyed by fire and machineries, believed to have been used to dig the graves for dead terrorists, which were found in front of the house.
We were told that once Mat Bom had been caught by the security force, his wife and children were relocated to a temporary centre.
Tan, who was given a special briefing by Sabah General Operations Force, operations staff officer DSP Toipi Lamat, later, inspected the house, where several holes had been dug up by the terrorists to act as their hideout areas.
The Tanduo beach, which was the last stop for the group of terrorists, had been the place where the group first landed too.
On the beach laid the remnants of burnt boats, which had served to bring in the terrorists to the village. They had also used an old mosque as their headquarters.
Many army personnel were also seen around the beach, manning temporary security posts that had been set up to prevent terrorist attacks in the future.
Tan said although the place had been declared free of terrorists, the military force would continue to monitor the area. He also said there are no plans to stop security surveillance in the area for the time being.
The village, which had become the landing spot for the invaders from Sulu right from the beginning, was closed by the security force as soon as fights began and was made a non-residential area.
The Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces, General Jen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, meanwhile, said the army had no plans of leaving the village for now and gave an indication that the army would continue to be on guard in the village, although there are no threats at present.
He also said no permanent military camp would be built in the village but added that a permanent camp would be set up in the vicinity of Felda Sahabat, with the cooperation of Felda. -- BERNAMA
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