Its time to fill the sky with armed drones: Armed gunmen fatally shot a Malaysian policeman and kidnapped another during a shootout at a resort on Borneo island, a security official said Sunday. It was the latest in a spate of kidnappings in Sabah, highlighting persistent security threats in the state. Sabah is a short boat ride from the southern Philippines, home to Muslim militants and kidnap gangs. Eight gunmen wearing army fatigues barged into the Mabul Water Bungalow Resort late Saturday and ambushed marine police officers on guard there, said Abdul Rashid Haron, who heads the Eastern Sabah Security Command. A marine policeman was killed in the shootout and the gunmen, who had their faces covered, fled on a boat with another officer, Abdul Rashid said, adding that the boat was seen heading toward the southern Philippines. He said the gunmen may either have been planning to kidnap someone at the resort or were targeting marine police after recent increased security on the island helped to curb their activities. It was the fourth kidnapping in Sabah since April. A 32-year-old Malaysian fish breeder and his Filipino worker were abducted by Filipino gunmen from their farm last month and believed taken to the southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf, which operates out of the southern Philippines, has had links to international terrorist networks, including al-Qaida, but a U.S.-backed Philippine military crackdown has weakened it considerably in recent years. The group has about 300 fighters and now is focused on ransom kidnappings. They are just thugs who have learned it is easier to steal via ransom kidnappings than it is to work for a living. Abu Sayyaf are merely common criminals and should be dealt with accordingly.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:43:20 +0000
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