Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez. 蜜桃工作室.NET FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Friday there was an exchange of gunfire between Malaysian security forces and supporters of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters that Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario had spoken on the phone with Malaysia鈥檚 ambassador to the Philippines, Mohammad Zamri bin Mohammad Kassim, to inquire about the gun battle.
鈥淭he official information given by the ambassador was that firing聽 took place earlier聽 but no casualties.聽 And the firing has stopped.聽 He did not say when the firing began and ended.聽 We are hoping to get more details on this later,鈥� Hernandez said.
Asked if the gunbattle indicated that the attack of Malaysian forces on the camp of Kiram followers鈥� was already underway, Hernandez said he did not think so based on the information given by the ambassador that the firing had already stopped.
鈥淗e (the ambassador) said there was no more firing so it may mean all movements there have stopped,鈥� Hernandez added.
He said the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia was also verifying reports of casualties in the Kiram camp.
The DFA official appealed to Kiram鈥檚 followers to return to their homes in Mindanao voluntarily.