On Tuesday, Malaysian warplanes including three F-18 fighter jets bombed the area where some 180 Filipinos were hidden.
Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also issued a statement saying “The armed forces’ operation to defend the nation’s sovereignty has been fruitful.”
The Filipinos are followers of the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, and had occupied the area in Borneo Island since February 12, demanding recognition as the rightful owners of the land.
A three-week standoff between the Malaysian troops and the armed group on Borneo Island has left dozens of people dead.
On Friday, fourteen people were killed in clashes between Malaysian police forces and the armed group in Sabah state, located on the northern portion of the Borneo Island.
Sabah state became part of the Malaysian territory in 1963. In the 1800s, the state was designated a British protectorate.
