Malaysian forces resume pursuit of Filipino sultan’s followers

Malaysia Army commandos prepare to board a helicopter to join an assault near the area where a stand-off with Filipino gunmen took place Tuesday, March 5, 2013, in Tanduo village, Lahad Datu, Sabab, Malaysia. Malaysian security forces using fighter jets attacked nearly 200 Filipino intruders on Tuesday to end the armed group’s three-week violent occupation of a Borneo village that became the country’s biggest security crisis in years. AP FILE PHOTO

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—Malaysian aircraft took to the skies anew over Lahad Datu starting 8 a.m. Thursday as ground forces advanced farther inside the Tanduo area in search of the members of the so-called  “royal army” of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu.

Malaysian police Inspector General Ismail Omar said over a Sandakan radio that the Malaysian aircraft, including F18s, were on an aerial survey mission.

The reporter of the radio station, who was stationed in Lahad Datu, said he  observed that the seven jets would pass over him in intervals of about four minutes.

“But there have been no bombs dropped yet,” the reporter said.