Malaysia Rejects Ceasefire, Demands Surrender of Filipino Fighters

Malaysia's defense minister on Thursday rejected a ceasefire offer by a self-styled Philippine sultan unless his fighters who launched a deadly incursion "surrender unconditionally.”

"A unilateral ceasefire is not accepted by Malaysia unless the militants surrender unconditionally," Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on his Twitter feed.

The sultan whose followers launched the incursion called for the ceasefire Thursday as troops continued to hunt for his elusive fighters.

The call came after U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged a peaceful resolution of a bizarre incursion that has led to at least 60 deaths, including 52 militants, and escalated into Malaysia's biggest security crisis in years.

It also coincided with a sudden visit to the stricken corner of Borneo island by Malaysian premier Najib Razak, whose government tried for three weeks to persuade the invaders to leave but launched a military assault Tuesday after they refused.

The "sultan,” Jamalul Kiram III, declared a unilateral ceasefire for 12:30 pm (0430 GMT) and urged Malaysia to reciprocate, according to a statement read out by his spokesman in Manila.

"They will not take any action. They will remain in the place where they are now. They will not expand operations," the spokesman said, referring to the militants, believed to number between 100 and 300, in Malaysia's Sabah state.

The spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said Kiram was responding to Ban's appeal Wednesday for a cessation of hostilities in the Malaysian state of Sabah.

"(Ban) urges an end to the violence and encourages dialogue among all the parties for a peaceful resolution of the situation," a statement released by his office said.

Jamalul declared the "unilateral ceasefire... in order to reciprocate the call of the U.N. to preserve lives,” said Idjirani, as the elderly and ailing Kiram sat next to him.