E. Timor militia gang shoots UN peacekeepers
E. Timor militia gang shoots UN peacekeepers
DILI, East Timor (AP): Four Nepalese UN peacekeepers and a
civilian were injured after being shot at late Thursday while
searching for a renegade militia gang in East Timor, a spokesman
said.
The Nepalese troops were patrolling an area 30 kilometers from
the West Timor border when they were involved in a firefight with
the suspected militia they had been tracking.
"We don't have confirmation whether they were ambushed by the
militia gang or if an exchange of fire took place," said
Norwegian Col. Brynjar Nymo, a spokesman for the peacekeepers.
The attack occurred in an area where a band of up to 30
militiamen had been reported near the town of Zumalai, 110
kilometers southwest of Dili.
Two of the blue beret soldiers and an unknown civilian were
treated on the spot and at a military hospital in the southern
town of Suai. Nymo confirmed the civilian was not a militia
member.
Two more peacekeepers were flown to Dili for urgent medical
treatment. One was in serious condition with gunshot wounds.
Australian-led international troops landed in the half-island
territory to restore peace and security after Indonesian
military-backed militias went on a rampage of destruction and
killing following an overwhelming vote by East Timorese for
independence from Indonesia 11 months ago.
A New Zealand soldier shot in the head during a clash with
militia on July 24 was the first peacekeeper to be killed in
fighting in East Timor.
The territory was annexed by Indonesia 25 years ago as
colonial power Portugal retreated.
The United Nations is administering East Timor in its
transition to independence. A UN peacekeeping force took control
of the territory's security in February.
Meanwhile, a rifle shot which accidentally killed an
Australian soldier in East Timor may have been fired when the gun
fell as a patrol passed over rough terrain, authorities said on
Thursday.
Cpl. Stuart Jones, 27, died late Wednesday after the weapon
accidentally discharged during a UN peacekeeping patrol near the
town of Maliana, close to the border between East and West Timor,
UN and Australian military authorities said.
Jones was one of six Australian soldiers traveling in an
armored personnel carrier back to base after completing a foot
patrol in the mountainous border region, Col. Greg Baker, head of
the Australian force in East Timor, told reporters in Timor.
Jones died while being flown by helicopter to a hospital in
Dili. His body was flown back to Australia on Thursday, after a
short ceremony at Dili's Comoro Airport.