Six killed and five injured in E. Timor ambush

Six killed and five injured in E. Timor ambush

DILI (JP): Separatist rebels have killed six people and
critically injured five in two separate ambushes near Viqueque,
about 200 kilometers east of here Monday, the military said
yesterday.

Col. Soekotjo, deputy East Timor military chief, told The
Jakarta Post that one of the men killed, Eugenio da Costa, 42,
was head of Viqueque regency's administrative affairs department.

The other five were identified as Viqueque administration
employee Fransisco, 55, and security guards Alfonso da Silva, 38,
Antonio Sarmento, 30, Mateus Sarmento, 36, and Alexio da Costa,
37.

"All but one of the six was found dead, with bullet wounds, at
the crime scene. Alexio da Costa died from stab wounds on the way
to Viqueque hospital," Soekotjo said.

Meanwhile, only three of the five critically injured had been
identified yesterday. They were Gaspar Fernandez, 38, Gaspar
Amaral, 27, and Lino Amaral, age unknown.

The military have confronted a low level separatist rebellion
in East Timor since the former Portuguese colony was integrated
into Indonesia in 1976.

Military officials have repeatedly said there are only a
"small" number of Fretilin rebels and they are poorly armed.

Soekotjo said the two incidents took place Monday morning at
the same place in Lugasa village, each time involving about 10
rebels.

In the first incident, the rebels attacked the Kijang pick-up
Eugenio was driving to work. On board were the five security
guards and two others.

Their van came under fire on a winding road in Lugasa, about 4
kilometers from Viqueque. The pick-up spun out of control and
plunged into a ditch when Eugenio was hit.

"About 10 security disturbers (the official name for rebels)
were involved in the ambush. Four brandished assault rifles and
the rest sharp weapons," he said.

He said three of the nine people on board escaped although
they were injured.

Shortly after the first incident, the rebels attacked a PT
Watu Besi Raya truck, seriously injuring the three people on
board. The company is involved in a development project in
Viqueque.

"The driver was found lying in the tall grass. The authorities
combing the area almost mistook him for a security disturber,"
Soekotjo said.

Eugenio, a former regent of Alas in the Manufahi regency,
about 200 kilometers south of Dili, survived an ambush on Feb. 7
in Viqueque.

Soekotjo said he thought Fretilin rebels must have long
targeted Eugenio and carefully studied his daily route to work.

"The four security guards were not likely to have been an
intended target. They were killed because they happened to be
riding in Eugenio's pick-up," he said. (33/pan)