A police officer was killed and another kidnapped in a shootout at Sabah's Mabul Island resort last night.

Eight gunmen in army fatigue reportedly landed on the east side of the island at about 11.30pm and engaged in a shootout with police just before midnight.

Semporna police said the gunmen might have kidnapped an officer in the incident.

Security forces have been placed at the island following several kidnapping incidents.

Last week, Mabul was placed on high security alert following an attempted kidnapping of a fish farm operator near Kampung Bangau Bangau, Semporna.

Sabah police commissioner, Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the gunmen managed to evade authorities and fled towards Tawi-tawi in southern Philippines.

The Malaysian and Filipino police are working together on the case, he said.

On May 6, Chinese national Yang Zai Lin, 34, was abducted by five gunmen from the Wonderful Terrace Fish Farm a farm in Pulau Baik, Lahad Datu where he worked as manager.

Yang, was freed by alleged captors, the Abu Sayyaf militants after two weeks in captivity.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said the Malaysian authorities acted on intelligence and no ransom was paid to the captors.

In April, another Chinese national Gao Hua Yun, 29 and Filipina resort worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, were snatched from the Singamata Reef Resort on Semporna island.

The kidnappers have originally demanded RM36.4 million ransom for the release of the Chinese woman.

Both were freed after a ransom was allegedly paid to the kidnappers.

Last November, the Abu Sayyaf allegedly kidnapped Taiwanese tourist Chang An Wei, 58, after killing her husband Hsu Li Min, 57, in a cross-border raid in Sabah’s Pom Pom Island.

The woman was eventually released a month later near the village of Liban in Talipao town in Sulu after paying ransom.