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| Malaysian Incursion by Filipinos Ends in Deadly Clash | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MANILA — An obscure, centuries-old territorial dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines erupted in violence on Friday, leaving at least 13 people dead and straining relations between the close Southeast Asian neighbors. | |
| Malaysian security forces battled on Friday morning with about 180 Filipinos, some of whom were armed, in an effort to remove them from a remote coastal village they had occupied for two weeks in the northeastern Malaysian state of Sabah. | Malaysian security forces battled on Friday morning with about 180 Filipinos, some of whom were armed, in an effort to remove them from a remote coastal village they had occupied for two weeks in the northeastern Malaysian state of Sabah. |
| The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that 10 to 12 Filipinos died in the clash and two Malaysian police commandos were killed in a mortar attack. Another three Malaysian security officials were wounded, the agency reported. | The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that 10 to 12 Filipinos died in the clash and two Malaysian police commandos were killed in a mortar attack. Another three Malaysian security officials were wounded, the agency reported. |
| The group, which represented itself as a royal militia in service of the sultanate of Sulu, which for centuries controlled the southern Philippines and part of what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah, arrived by boat on Feb. 12 to re-establish its long-dormant claim to the area. | The group, which represented itself as a royal militia in service of the sultanate of Sulu, which for centuries controlled the southern Philippines and part of what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah, arrived by boat on Feb. 12 to re-establish its long-dormant claim to the area. |
| The Philippines and Malaysia for weeks had tried to persuade the group to leave peacefully. The Malaysian authorities, who had surrounded the Filipinos, had given repeated deadlines for the group to leave peacefully. The deadlines passed without incident until Friday, when the violence erupted. | |
| “Our patience has reached the limit,” Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia was quoted as saying on Friday by Bernama. | |
| The battle on Friday apparently ended the standoff, Malaysian diplomatic officials told their Philippine counterparts. But the fate of the Filipinos in the area was unclear. Raul Hernandez, a Philippine foreign affairs spokesman, suggested that some had fled the fighting and some had been arrested, but he did not provide further details during a news briefing on Friday. | The battle on Friday apparently ended the standoff, Malaysian diplomatic officials told their Philippine counterparts. But the fate of the Filipinos in the area was unclear. Raul Hernandez, a Philippine foreign affairs spokesman, suggested that some had fled the fighting and some had been arrested, but he did not provide further details during a news briefing on Friday. |
| “It appears that what has been transpiring has ended,” said the Philippine president, Benigno S. Aquino III, who was traveling in the central Philippines. | |
| There were different accounts of exactly how the violence started. | There were different accounts of exactly how the violence started. |
| Ricky Carandang, a Philippine presidential spokesman, said it appeared to have begun when the Filipinos tried to breach the perimeter established by Malaysian police. | Ricky Carandang, a Philippine presidential spokesman, said it appeared to have begun when the Filipinos tried to breach the perimeter established by Malaysian police. |
| “They apparently tried to leave the area and were stopped,” Mr. Carandang said by telephone. “We have conflicting reports, but this is what we have verified so far.” | “They apparently tried to leave the area and were stopped,” Mr. Carandang said by telephone. “We have conflicting reports, but this is what we have verified so far.” |
| The Malaysian home minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, confirmed on his Twitter account that shots had been fired but said “the situation is fully under control.” | The Malaysian home minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, confirmed on his Twitter account that shots had been fired but said “the situation is fully under control.” |
| “I confirm that our security forces have not taken a single shot, but were shot at at 10 a.m. this morning,” he wrote on Friday, adding that the group at that point was still surrounded by the Malaysian police. | |
| But the Filipinos gave a different account, saying they did not start the confrontation. Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman in Manila for the armed group, said during a Friday news conference that at about 6 a.m. Friday the Malaysian police began approaching the perimeter and shots were fired. The police then retreated, he said. | But the Filipinos gave a different account, saying they did not start the confrontation. Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman in Manila for the armed group, said during a Friday news conference that at about 6 a.m. Friday the Malaysian police began approaching the perimeter and shots were fired. The police then retreated, he said. |
| During the briefing, he claimed that 10 Filipinos had been killed and that four were injured in the assault. | |
| “The first shot came from the Malaysian authorities,” the spokesman said. | “The first shot came from the Malaysian authorities,” the spokesman said. |
| A spokeswoman for the group later told reporters in Manila that the group’s leader on the ground had not been killed or arrested by the Malaysian authorities. | |
| The siege came after the Philippines on Monday had sent a navy vessel to the area with medical and diplomatic personnel to pick up the group or escort them back to the Philippines, hoping to resolve the situation. On Friday, the Philippine government asked Malaysia to allow medical personnel from the ship to come on shore to treat any wounded, according to Mr. Hernandez. He did not specify if the request was granted. | The siege came after the Philippines on Monday had sent a navy vessel to the area with medical and diplomatic personnel to pick up the group or escort them back to the Philippines, hoping to resolve the situation. On Friday, the Philippine government asked Malaysia to allow medical personnel from the ship to come on shore to treat any wounded, according to Mr. Hernandez. He did not specify if the request was granted. |
| Before the siege, Mr. Aquino had sent emissaries to meet with the group’s leaders to resolve the issue. | Before the siege, Mr. Aquino had sent emissaries to meet with the group’s leaders to resolve the issue. |
| “These are your people, and it behooves you to recall them,” Mr. Aquino said to the leader in his Tuesday statement. “It must be clear to you that this small group of people will not succeed in addressing your grievances, and that there is no way that force can achieve your aims.” | “These are your people, and it behooves you to recall them,” Mr. Aquino said to the leader in his Tuesday statement. “It must be clear to you that this small group of people will not succeed in addressing your grievances, and that there is no way that force can achieve your aims.” |