Malaysia-Filipino Standoff

Supporters of an armed bid by Filipino intruders to lay claim to a Malaysian state took their campaign to cyberspace on Monday, manipulating Google search listings to show a message backing the incursion.

Malaysians have been shocked by the militant incursion, which began when an estimated 100-300 people landed on the shores of Sabah on February 12, claiming the state for the heir to a former Philippine sultanate.

A tense stand-off between the intruders and security forces who have them pinned down in the farming village of Tanduo erupted in a bloody firefight Friday that left 12 gunmen and two police officers dead.

Another gun battle erupted Saturday in Semporna, hours away from Tanduo by road, dramatically escalating tensions and raising the overall toll of reported dead to at least 18 militants and eight police officers.