KOTA KINABALU: The High Court here was told yesterday that the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) launched an aerial bombing on the hideout of armed intruders in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, on March 5 last year.
DSP Hakemal Hawari, a VAT69 Commando, said the bomb attack lasted for about half-hour from 7am.
“After that, at about 7.30am until 8am, the mortar team launched the mortar attack in the area,” he said during examination-in-chief by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in the trial of 30 individuals charged with carrying out terrorism-related activities in Sabah last year.
Asked by Abdul Gani the difference between aerial bombing and mortar attack, Hakemal said the sound of the aerial bombing was louder.
He also told the court that his team, which merged with the ATM team, went to Kampung Tanduo in eight Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), belonging to ATM.
Hakemal, the leader of one of the five teams which carried out close reconnaissance at Sector A in Kampung Tanduo, said after the attack, they carried out cleaning/flushing operation in the area and the operation took eight hours to complete.
When asked how he knew about the army operation in the area, Hakemal said he was informed about it by the 5th Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Datuk Ranjit Singh Ramday.
He said after the flushing operation, his team was ordered to leave the area and return to the VAT69 headquarters at Felda Sahabat 16.
Hakemal said his team and the ATM team also conducted flushing operation in Kg Tanjung Batu on March 6, 2013 during which he heard gun shots which continued until at night.
He said the shots came from the team lead by three VAT69 commandos, including Inspector Sahar Omar.
On March 9, Hakemal said his team was ordered to cease flushing operation in the area and to return to the headquarters and that during the briefing by his superior, he was told that during the cleaning process in Kampung Tanjung, six armed intruders were killed.
Twenty-two of the 30 accused, including two Malaysians, are being jointly tried on a charge of waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and being members of a terrorist group.
One of them faces two additional charges of recruiting members for a terrorist group and harbouring individuals believed to be members of a terrorist group.
Five of eight accused are charged with being members of a terrorist group, while another, a Malaysian woman is accused of harbouring individuals believed to be members of a terrorist group.
Two others are charged with attempting to harbour individuals believed to be members of a terrorist group.
The offences were allegedly committed between Feb 12 and April 10 last year.
The trial before Justice Stephen Chung, which is held at the Sabah Prison Department, continues today. — Bernama