Shiet just got serious..
Esscom exchanged fire with 5 gunmen in hot pursuit of kidnappersKOTA KINABALU: Malaysian security forces exchanged fire with five gunmen after their boat was detected at 6.20am within Mataking waters off Semporna.
Special task force and marine personnel of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) were in hot pursuit of the armed men who kidnapped Chinese national Yang Zai Lin, 34, from a fish farm near Pulau Baik off Silam, Lahad Datu.
Yang, who is a manager of Wonderful Terrace Sdn Bhd, was taken from the farm centre at 2.45am by the gunmen who fled in a boat towards the open sea.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the suspects were believed to have changed to another boat with bigger horsepower before making their way towards Mataking waters.
"When security forces detected their boat, one of the gunmen opened fire forcing security personnel to retaliate while chasing them," he said in a press conference.
The gunmen fled towards Alice Reef, between Malaysian and Philipines water border, and entered Saluag village in the Southern Sibutu Island of the southern Philippine.
"Our security forces had entered the Philippines waters and were forced to withdraw for fear of their safety."
Hamza classified the case as kidnapping for ransom and did not rule out inside job.
He said two of the gunmen were wearing masks and in camouflage uniforms.
They were armed with M16 while others were in civilian clothings.
[NST]