Under orders from a self-proclaimed sultan based in Manila, the armed group tried to resurrect the sultanate’s claim to the area despite appeals from both the Philippine and Malaysian governments to return to the Philippines.

In Manila, a spokesman for the group, Abraham Idjirani, told reporters that the Malaysian military assault had missed the organization’s leader on the ground. He said Filipino fighters were still operating in the area.

The group’s leader in Manila, Jamalul Kiram III, one of several claimants to the title of sultan of Sulu, remained defiant. He said at a news conference on Tuesday that the Filipino fighters in Borneo, including his son, whom he identified as the prince of Sulu, would continue the fight.

“The crown prince, the royal security forces and the many patriots who landed voluntarily will fight to the last man protecting their ideals and aspirations,” he said.

In the last few days, Philippine officials have frantically shuttled between Kuala Lumpur and Manila seeking to smooth relations with their Southeast Asian neighbor and protect the more than 800,000 Filipinos living and working in Sabah State. Early Tuesday morning, the Philippine secretary of foreign affairs, Albert F. del Rosario, met with officials in Kuala Lumpur in an effort to reduce tensions.

Philippine officials have asked the Malaysian government to show restraint in dealing with the Filipinos involved in the incursion, but a presidential spokesman in Manila said on Tuesday that the military operation was beyond the control of the Philippine government.

“We are in no position to speculate on the actions of the Malaysian government,” said the spokesman, Edwin Lacierda. “What is clear, however, is that Malaysian blood has been spilled. If this happened to us, we would also have taken some action.”