| SABAH EAST COAST NO
STRANGER TO PIRATE ATTACKS
KOTA KINABALU, April 24
(Bernama) -- After a period of relative calm following the pirate attack in early 1996,
Semporna district was again jolted by piracy when six armed men raided the Sipadan island
and escaped with 20 hostages yesterday.
Piracy was nothing new to the Sabah east coast as it has experienced several major
incidents in the past 15 years.
Apart from attacks on fishermen at sea, the usually well-armed pirates had also landed on
the coastal towns of Semporna and Lahad Datu before.
However, last night's raid on Sipadan, about 30km off Semporna, was the first involving
the taking of hostages.
Following is the list of pirate attacks in the state's east coast:
* Sept 24, 1985 -- 11 people were killed and several injured when 15 armed pirates landed
on Lahad Datu town and fired randomly at the public before robbing a bank of RM190,000.
The attack was over in about 30 minutes.
Police and military personnel pursued the pirates and smashed the group which was hiding
on an island near international waters.
* Feb 11, 1996 -- A group of about six pirates stormed the Semporna police station before
fleeing with about RM100,000 worth of jewellery from a goldsmith's shop.
* March 23, 1996 -- Police shot dead a robber and arrested two others from among a group
of eight gunmen who robbed a goldsmith's shop of about RM200,000.
* June 23, 1996 -- Semporna police shot dead eight pirates who robbed a group of fishermen
in Pulau Omadal in Semporna waters.
KOTA KINABALU, April 24 (Bernama) -- After a period of relative calm following the pirate
attack in early 1996, Semporna district was again jolted by piracy when six armed men
raided the Sipadan island and escaped with 20 hostages yesterday.
Piracy was nothing new to the Sabah east coast as it has experienced several major
incidents in the past 15 years.
Apart from attacks on fishermen at sea, the usually well-armed pirates had also landed on
the coastal towns of Semporna and Lahad Datu before.
However, last night's raid on Sipadan, about 30km off Semporna, was the first involving
the taking of hostages.
Following is the list of pirate attacks in the state's east coast:
* Sept 24, 1985 -- 11 people were killed and several injured when 15 armed pirates landed
on Lahad Datu town and fired randomly at the public before robbing a bank of RM190,000.
The attack was over in about 30 minutes.
Police and military personnel pursued the pirates and smashed the group which was hiding
on an island near international waters.
* Feb 11, 1996 -- A group of about six pirates stormed the Semporna police station before
fleeing with about RM100,000 worth of jewellery from a goldsmith's shop.
* March 23, 1996 -- Police shot dead a robber and arrested two others from among a group
of eight gunmen who robbed a goldsmith's shop of about RM200,000.
* June 23, 1996 -- Semporna police shot dead eight pirates who robbed a group of fishermen
in Pulau Omadal in Semporna waters.
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