Filipino clan leader who occupied Malaysian village says police opened fire to make them leave

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino clan leader who occupied a Malaysian village with nearly 200 followers says Malaysian police have opened fire in a bid to evict them and there are casualties.

Members of a Muslim royal clan from the southern Philippines have been engaged in a standoff with Malaysian police since they landed in a coastal village in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Feb. 9 to claim the territory as their own. They ignored appeals from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to leave immediately.

The leader of the group, Agbimuddin Kiram, tells Philippine radio station DZBB in Manila that Malaysian police surrounding Lahad Datu village opened fire early Friday and that his group was fighting back. He says there are casualties on the Filipino side but did not provide details.

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