Cross border attacks in Sabah

Cross border attacks in Sabah
	Part of the Piracy in the Sulu Sea, North Borneo dispute and Moro conflict
	; Attacks by Moro pirates and militants in Sabah from the 19th century to the present
Date	8 December 1962 – present; (61 years, 4 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location	Sabah, Malaysia
Result	Security in mainland Sabah was under control, cross border attacks ongoing; Operation Merdeka to invade Sabah under the instruction of Ferdinand Marcos failed to carry out and the starting of insurgency in the Southern Philippines after Marcos soldiers execute a number of Moro fighters in an event known as Jabidah massacre.; Nur Misuari deported to the Philippines in 2001 under the ASEAN friendship after Malaysian security forces found he had stayed illegally on an island in Sabah to escape from the Philippine authorities after a failed rebellion against the Philippine Government.; Establishment of RCI in 2012 when Sabah was infiltrated with a huge numbers of illegal immigrants from the Philippines who escape from the war torn Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.; Deportation of thousands of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah after they were found collaborating with militants during a brief of standoff with a self-proclaimed Filipino Sultan Jamalul Kiram III followers in 2013.; Establishment of ESSCOM and ESSZONE in 2013 to counter further Filipino militant infiltrations and to prevent the mass exodus of Filipino illegal immigrants into Sabah.; Sabah ceases its cross-border trade and barter trade in eastern waters from 7 April 2016–1 February 2017 due to persistent Abu Sayyaf attacks.; The governments of Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia have signed an agreement to jointly countering the persistent lawlessness in the Sulu Archipelago.;
Belligerents
Malaysia Sabah; Indonesia; Vietnam; Singapore; Thailand; Supported by Australia (1963–66) (troops and material aid) ; New Zealand (1963–66) (troops and material aid) ; United Kingdom (until 1966) (troops and material aid) ; Brunei (material aid) ; Bangsamoro militia support:; Moro Islamic Liberation Front; Moro National Liberation Front Former support:; Philippines (after 1986–2016)	Abu Sayyaf (1991–2024); Moro Pirates (1963–present); Sulu Sultanate (Jamalul Kiram III faction) (2013–present); Philippines (until 1986, 2016–present) Former Sabah invasion supporter:; Moro National Liberation Front (Misuari faction) (2001–2015) Bangsamoro Republik (2013);
Commanders and leaders
Anwar Ibrahim; (Prime Minister of Malaysia); Mohamad Hasan; (Minister of Defence); Hajiji Noor; (Chief Minister of Sabah); Joko Widodo (President of Indonesia); Murad Ebrahim; Mohagher Iqbal; Muslimin Sema; Former leader PM full list Tunku Abdul Rahman (1962–1970) # ; Abdul Razak Hussein (1970–1976) # ; Hussein Onn (1976–1981) # ; Mahathir Mohamad (1981–2003, 2018–2020) ; Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003–2009) ; Najib Razak (2009–2018) ; Muhyiddin Yassin (2020–2021) ; Ismail Sabri Yaakob (2021-2022) ; CM full list Fuad Stephens † ; Peter Lo Sui Yin # ; Mustapha Harun # ; Mohamed Said Keruak ; Harris Salleh ; Joseph Pairin Kitingan ; Sakaran Dandai ; Salleh Said Keruak ; Yong Teck Lee ; Bernard Giluk Dompok ; Osu Sukam ; Chong Kah Kiat ; Musa Aman ; Shafie Apdal ; PR full list Corazon Aquino # ; Fidel V. Ramos # ; Joseph Estrada ; Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ; Benigno Aquino III # ; PR full list Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ;	Radullan Sahiron (current Emir of Abu Sayyaf) ; Abdurajak Janjalani †; Khadaffy Janjalani † ; Isnilon Totoni Hapilon †; Phudgal Kiram; (Raja Muda of the Sulu Sultanate); Bongbong Marcos; (President of Philippines); Various pirates leader; Jamalul Kiram III #; Agbimuddin Kiram #; Ismael Kiram II #; Former support; Diosdado Macapagal #; Ferdinand Marcos #; Rodrigo Duterte; Nur Misuari (2001–2015)
Units involved
NSOF:; Malaysian Armed Forces ; Royal Malaysia Police ; Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency British coalition; (until 1966) Royal Australian Navy ; Royal New Zealand Navy ; British troops and navy ; Armed Forces of the Philippines; Philippine National Police; Indonesian National Armed Forces; Indonesian National Police	Abu Sayyaf; Moro Pirates; Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo
Strength
Malaysian security forces: Malaysian Army 6000+ troops; 18 ACV-300 Adnan IFV; 12 DefTech AV8 AFV; Some of AV4 Lipanbara MRAP; Some of Condor APC; ; Royal Malaysian Air Force A squadron of BAE Hawk; 3 F/A-18D Hornet; Some of Eurocopter EC725; ; Royal Malaysian Navy Some of ships from Eastern Fleet; ; British coalition; (until 1966) Australian forces HMAS Tobruk; HMAS Sydney (R17); ; ; New Zealand forces Patrol ships; ; ; British forces Thousands British troops; ; ; Philippine security forces:; uncertain; Indonesian security forces:; uncertain Law abiding Moro rebels:; uncertain	Abu Sayyaf: unknown; Kiram followers: 235; Moro Pirates: unknown;
Casualties and losses
Malaysian security forces: ≈12+ deaths and 13 wounded recorded; British coalition; (until 1966) uncertain ; Philippine security forces: uncertain; Indonesian security forces: uncertain; Law abiding Moro rebels: uncertain;	Abu Sayyaf: ~estimated 21+ killed; 3 wounded; +10 captured ; Kiram followers: 58 killed; 3 wounded; Moro Pirates:; Hundreds killed;
	Civilian casualties; ~estimated 50+ killed; ~estimated 23 wounded;
	~ The total thought to be higher than what has been shown.

The cross border attacks in Sabah are a series of cross border terrorist attacks perpetrated by Moro pirates from Mindanao, Philippines, in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, that began even before the British colonial period. Many civilians have died or suffered during these incidents, causing an increase in anti-Filipino sentiment among the native peoples of Sabah, especially after major attacks in 1985, 2000 and 2013. The attacks were more intense during the presidential terms of Diosdado Macapagal and Ferdinand Marcos, who supported irredentist claims to include eastern Sabah as part of the Philippines territory. In addition, recent infiltration and attacks by militants as well as uncontrolled human migration from Mindanao to Sabah has led to more unease sentiments among the local residents of Sabah, with around 78% of prison inmates that were caught in the state due to involvement in criminal activities and lawlessness issues mainly originating from the southern Philippines.

Prior to a large-scale military operation initiated by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to combat the rampant lawlessness in the southern Philippines since mid-2016, Malaysian security forces had been told to tighten its security and to ensure that terrorists do not attempt to flee prosecution by escaping to uninhabited areas. Sabahan leaders also ordered Malaysian security forces to "shoot on sight" any trespassers who continue to ignore laws despite repeated warnings and that those escaping militants be dealt with by the country's laws more effectively. Following the declaration of martial law in the neighbouring Philippines since 23 May 2017, Malaysian authorities increased their border security. Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal also urged the Malaysian security forces to stop taking a defensive attitude and be offensive towards the rampant crimes perpetrated by southern Filipino criminals and terrorists that has disturbed peace in the state.

Various countries and territories such as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam have raised a travel alert for their citizens to avoid the area in eastern Sabah.

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