Militia, peacekeepers clash

Militia, peacekeepers clash

DILI, East Timor (AP): UN peacekeepers and suspected militiamen exchanged gunfire near East Timor's border with Indonesia on Saturday, but no one was injured, UN officials said.

A group of armed men fired a single shot at a company of New Zealand troops stationed close to the border town of Tilomar, said UN peacekeeping spokesman Capt. Isabelito Sanchez.

The troops returned fire before the suspected militia group fled the area, he said.

The incident - the latest in a series of border clashes - comes as East Timor prepares for elections on Aug. 30 to choose a constituent assembly. There are fears that violence could disrupt the polls.