Malaysian soldier, 3 Filipinos killed in Sabah clashes

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A Malaysian soldier was killed Wednesday during clashes with members of the Royal Army of Sulu Sultanate in Sungai Nyamuk, Lahad Datu. Two gunmen also died in the shootout. The latest encounter started when joint military and police units mopped up the operations around Sungai Nyamuk, near Tanjung Batu. Security forces opened fire on five Sulu gunmen at 7:45 a.m., forcing them to retreat. The Malaysian security forces tracked the Sulu men to a swampy area in the upper part of Sungai Nyamuk, where a second gun battle broke out at 10:45 a.m. The gunmen shot dead a Malaysian soldier during the battle, the first military fatality since security forces launched an assault to crush the Philippine Muslim clan's incursion.