A large military build-up took place near Kampung Tanduo this evening as columns of military vehicles rolled onto the road leading to village.

Around 6.30pm today, some 30 military vehicles consisting of armoured vehicles and trucks carrying soldiers were seen rolling into a road in an oil palm plantation.

The column of military trucks took some 15 minutes to turn into the plantation route, causing a beeline of private cars building up behind them.

Also in the column were two ambulance vehicles.

azlan The oil palm plantation road is among several routes into Kampung Tanduo, but this one is off-limits to the media and is used by security forces travelling to the village.

This development followed claims by local villagers that the Royal Sulu Army, which is holed up in Kampung Tanduo, breached the security cordon and occupied neighbouring Tanjung Batu.

It is not clear whether the military build-up is to widen the perimeter around the intruders, which now includes the neighbouring village of Tanjung Batu, or whether there are plans to move in on them.

Inspector-general of police Ismail Omar and Armed Forces chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zin have been tight-lipped on when the security forces would move in on the intruders.

At a joint press conference early today, when pressed when the security forces would act, Ismail would only say: "We'll come to that."

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