14 killed in Malaysia standoff with Filipinos

Members of a Muslim royal clan from the southern Philippines landed in the coastal village of Lahad Datu in Sabah state on Feb. 9 to claim the territory as their own, citing ownership documents from the late 1800s.

Twelve clan members and two Malaysian police commandos were killed early Friday in a 30-minute shootout, Sabah Police Chief Hamza Taib said. Malaysian authorities were tightening a security cordon around the village when members of the clan opened fire, he said, adding that three policemen were injured in the shootout. He said the standoff was continuing.

"We don't want to engage them but they fired at us. We have no option but to return fire," Hamza said by telephone.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying he had given security forces the authority to take whatever action they thought necessary to end the standoff. He said he regretted the bloodshed.

"I am very sad over the incident because what we had wanted to prevent, which is bloodshed, has actually happened," Najib said.

The village was occupied by a group led by Agbimuddin Kiram, a brother of the head of a Filipino Muslim royal clan. The group earlier ignored appeals from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to leave immediately or face prosecution at home on charges of triggering an armed conflict.

Filipino officials, citing Malaysia's ambassador to the Philippines, Mohamad Zamri Mohamad Kassim, said earlier Friday that 10 members of the clan surrendered to police following the shootout, while the rest fled and were being pursued by Malaysian authorities.

But Hamza said no one had surrendered. He said clan members remained holed up in the village and that the security operation was ongoing.

"We will assess the situation again. We want them to surrender peacefully. If they still insist, we have no choice, but there is no time frame," he said.