KL on high alert for fleeing rebels

KL on high alert for fleeing rebels

MALAYSIA: Malaysian forces were on high alert for Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas fleeing the Philippine army and heading across the sea
to the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah, media reports said on
Monday.

The Malaysian afternoon daily, Malay Mail, said 10 heavily
armed Moro rebels had left Patikul on the southern Philippine
Jolo island and were headed in speedboats toward islands off
Sabah.

Malaysia's state-run Bernama news agency said the Malaysian
army had arrested 15 illegal immigrants from the Philippines
trying to enter Sabah, on the northern tip of Borneo island.

But Brig. Gen. Mohamad Yasin told Bernama there were no
sightings of any gunmen belonging to Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap for
ransom group that claims to fight for an Islamic state in the
south of the mainly Roman Catholic country.

"We stop and check every boat, big or small, that crosses our
maritime border round-the-clock. So far, there is nothing to
indicate that members of the group have slipped into Sabah
waters," said the general, who coordinates a security operation
in Sabah to counter infiltration from the Philippines. -- Reuters