The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest rebel group in the Philippines, is not involved in the confrontation between the Sulu gunmen and Malaysia’s security forces in eastern Sabah.

Its chairperson, Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, said the confrontation between the terrorists and the security forces in Lahad Datu and Semporna was a matter for Kuala Lumpur and the Manila administration to solve.

“The problem there (confrontation between the terrorists and Malaysia’s security forces) is between the Malaysian government and the Philippines. We leave it to them to solve it.

“Our people are not involved in the intrusion. We don’t want to get involved in the matter, we don't want to complicate it,” he told Bernama in an exclusive interview via telephone from his stronghold at Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, southern Philippines today.

After three weeks of failed negotiations, Malaysia yesterday despatched fighter jets and ground troops in armoured personnel carriers to storm the seaside village of Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, where the terrorists are holed up.

The pre-dawn security operation, codenamed ‘Ops Daulat’, had been successful and attained its objectives, according to inspector-general of police Ismail Omar and Armed Forces chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zain.

The security operation to flush out the terrorists, involving more than 2,000 combined forces of the police and the army, is ongoing at this point in time.

Since the intrusion three weeks ago, eight police personnel have been killed in two separate incidents, while 19 of the terrorists were also killed in sporadic firefights.

On the action of the terrorists in invading eastern Sabah and claiming it as their ancestral homeland, the MILF chairperson said he did not want to comment further, in line with the front’s non-interference stance taken on the matter.

Nevertheless, he earnestly hoped the Malaysian government and the terrorists could solve the matter peacefully.

“The peace process between MILF and the Philippine government is a separate matter and will not be hampered by the Sabah incident. The peace process is ongoing.”

The MILF’s negotiation team and the Philippine government, he said, were expected to meet in Kuala Lumpur for their latest round of negotiations in the last week of this month.

The MILF and the Philippine government successfully inked a framework agreement, ending a long-running conflict between both parties which claimed thousands of lives and left the resource-rich Mindanao region impoverished.

The framework agreement between MILF and Manila was brokered by Malaysia and signed at the Malacanang Palace on Oct 15, witnessed by Najib and his counterpart, President Benigno Aquino III.

- Bernama