Malaysian forces cordon off Kiram followers' sea, land routes in Sabah

Malaysian forces on Thursday formed a tight land and sea cordon to cut off the food and weapons supplies of followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

 

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the cordon particularly aims to prevent the supplies from southern Philippines.

 

"We have created a tight cordon around the area, with the help of the Navy at sea and Armed Forces on land," he said in an interview on TV3, according to a report on Malaysia's The Star online.

 

He also said Malaysian security forces have also arrested suspected Kiram followers who he claimed tried to leave and enter Tanduo and Tanjung Batu to get food supplies.

 

But the report did not say how many Kiram followers had been arrested while trying to get food.

 

"Their food supplies are cut off because we have caught many of the intruders during their attempts to get food," he said.

 

On the other hand, Hamza said they had cordoned off Tanjung Batu to ensure there were no residents there before starting their offensive.

 

Still, he admitted there is still a chance Kiram's followers "may have some tricks" and still find a way out.

 

"Even if there's a way out, it's only by sea. However, I admit that there are challenges as we're dealing with human beings, so they may have some tricks up their sleeves," he said. —KG, GMA News