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)