Air and Ground Strikes

The mini war playing out in Lahad Datu is turning out to be very surreal. Yesterday, at precisely 7 AM, RMAF’s three F/A-18 and five Hawk fighter jets strafed Kampuing Tanduo and this was accompanied by artillery fire and a ground assault. Ground troops at the frontline were seen approaching the village, followed by members of the General Operations Force. One news report mentioned bursts of gunfire but there was no sound of fighting since 10 AM.

Even as the offensive was going on, our dim-witted inspector-general of police Ismail Omar told a news conference in Lahad Datu that the police and army had achieved their objective in the operation code-named "Ops Sulu" (later renamed “Ops Daulat” – ‘daulat’ is Malay for ‘sovereign’).

But according to the Sulu sultanate spokesperson Abraham Idjirani, Agbimuddin Kiram called him at about 7.30 AM and then again at 9.30 AM to inform that the Malaysian aerial attacks missed their target and that he and his men were safe and were sitting tight in a place far from the airstrikes.

Then in another media briefing later, the same dunce masquerading as the IGP said it was not yet mission accomplished for the security forces in their operation against Sulu gunmen occupying Kampung Tanduo here as the militants were still holed up there. WTF! Am I supposed to think that the bombing run was not meant to kill any "terrorists" (as they are referred to now), but merely to frighten the enemy into submission?

And for good measure, he also denied Philippine media reports of gunmen’s bodies being desecrated, or of casualties among the Malaysian security forces.

Then he concluded: “We are still at the mopping and search stage.”

Twenty-four hours after the aerial bombardment – there is no news about any enemy casualties. Nor any report of enemy encounter. It was as if the Sulu fighters have disappeared into thin air.

The caring IGP did say that he had instructed the Malaysian forces to be very careful in order to avoid further casualties. Does that mean that these brave men of ours were inching their way forward; that slowly and deliberately, they were taking their time? And I am speculating here but maybe, they had been crawling on all fours, all day and all night and taking no chances? Even so, the secured area (I am being very polite here when I use the word 'secured') is only 4 sq km and if it is an oil palm plantation, it is not easy to play hide-and-seek. And yet, there has been zilch news of any sightings of the Sulu gunmen, whether dead or alive. This is all rather strange, isn’t it? I did use the word 'surreal', didn't I?!?