A group of militants were arrested by Malaysian security forces when trying to sneak into the Sabah state on North Borneo by sea, police said Monday.

Security forces arrested 32 men on Monday about 12 nautical miles off the east coast of Lahad Datu district as the group was trying to enter Sabah illegally from Southern Philippines, said Sabah police chief Hamza Taib.

He was quoted by local media as saying that the group was armed with firearms and machetes.

Some 200 supporters of a self-claimed Sulu Sultan based in Southern Philippines landed in a remote village of Lahad Datu in February to stake a territorial claim to Sabah. Ten Malaysian security forces and dozens of gunmen were killed during the deadly standoff.

Philippine media reported earlier that gunmen had tried to enter Sabah in small batches to support the Sulu group since the security forces launch a mop-up operation in early March.