Some intruders escape from police cordon
Residents of Tanjung Batu and Tanjung Labian have deserted their villages in droves after the locals claimed that intruders holed up in neighbouring Kampung Tanduo have breached the security forces’ perimeter.
VIDEO | 3.07 min Lahad Datu update [7PM]: Intruders escape police perimeter, hostages held
VIDEO | 2.54 min Semporna Update [8PM]: Villagers evacuating homes
Residents of Tanjung Batu and Tanjung Labian have deserted their villages in droves after the locals claimed that intruders holed up in neighbouring Kampung Tanduo have breached the security forces’ perimeter.
Tanjung Batu and Tanjung Labian are side by side, only a few hundred metres apart. They are 5km away from Kampung Tanduo.
Local villager Gabril Asakil (
left
), 48, said some 50 intruders have occupied their village in Tanjung Batu for resources.
“We stay outside at night for security and only come back here in the morning.
“When we arrived in the morning at 8am, we found that they had already occupied our village, so we decided to leave,” he said.
Gabril said he was certain those who have taken over their village are the intruders from Kampung Tanduo as this was confirmed by the remaining villagers who were not able to escape.
“The intruders sent out two of our villagers to buy food for them, but of course they ran away.
“They told us these people were indeed the intruders from Kampung Tanduo,” he said.
Gabril added that he saw the intruders were armed with M16s and parangs and had also brought their wounded from last Friday’s shootout into the village.
Villagers of Tanjung Labian (
right
), have also fled due to proximity with Tanjung Batu.
Earlier reports claimed that police had entered the area as there were sighting of intruders here.
However, the remaining villagers, mostly youths who were standing watch from the sidelines, confirmed that they were not new intruders but were from Kampung Tanduo.
Gabril was among the group which was less than 1km away from the newly-occupied area.
“We just want to know what is going to happen to our property and see if we can get any news,” he said.
Hours ago, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar confirmed that there were reports of sightings here, and that the police were in the process of verification.
Malaysiakini has contacted Ismail and Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib to confirm the incident and is awaiting a response.
‘Potential hostage situation’
Meanwhile, another villager, Alahdi Jahapar ( bottom left ), 38, said even though two of their fellow villagers had escaped, there were potentially more than 20 local villagers trapped in Tanjung Batu.
“They could not come out in time, they are probably being held hostage, only the two were sent out to buy things managed to escape,” he said.
He added that the residents in the two villages numbered around 1,000, including initial refugees who were the original inhabitants of Kampung Tanduo.
“We all left on lorries and vehicles, there was no one to help us,” he said.
Malaysiakini had visited Tanjung Labian yesterday to interview the original inhabitants of Kampung Tanduo who were displaced here.
The village then was still bustling despite the standoff at neighbouring Kampung Tandou but it has turned into a ghost town today.
According to Alahdi, all affected villagers have been evacuated 5km inland to a hall in Kampung Embara Budi.
A check at the village found the hall ( see photo above headline ), which was empty yesterday, packed with people.
Civil Defence Department (JPAM) officers were seen helping the villagers there.
An attempt to enter the village was denied by the police.
“We have received instructions not to let anyone in,” he said.
One of the villagers who spoke from behind the fence of the village said she was hungry and needed food.
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