Battle of Sulu (21st Century Crisis)

The Battle of the Sulu Sea (Malay: Pertempuran Laut Sulu, Filipino: Labanan ng Dagat sa Sulu) was a naval battle fought between the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Philippine Navy in Sulu Sea, around the areas of Zamboanga City and the Sulu Archipelago.

The battle began shortly after the Philippines declared war on Malaysia on November 24, 2008. The battle started with Philippine naval forces attacking Malaysian patrols around Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago. However, because Malaysia had a superior navy to that of the Philippines, and as self-sufficient navy, they were able to repulse the invasion, eventually pushing the Philippine naval forces up as far as Zamboanga del Norte.

With the Sulu Sea now under majority-Malaysian control, vessels transported Malaysian troops for a land invasion of the southern Philippines. However, due to stubborn resistance - these were quickly routed by a mix of Filipino soldiers and guerillias.