Soldiers, civilian killed in E. Timor

Soldiers, civilian killed in E. Timor

DILI, East Timor: Assailants killed three soldiers and a
civilian in Weberek, near the provincial capital of Dili, Antara
reported on Sunday.

A fourth soldier was missing and believed to be dead.

The military blamed pro-independence activists for the
stabbings on Friday night.

Also on Friday, masked men shot and killed a soldier in his
home in Leorama, west of Dili, the military said. There were no
arrests.

Chief of the Wira Dharma Military Resort Col. Suhartono
Suratman said two pistols belonging to the Weberek victims were
missing. Another soldier who was with them was believed to have
been killed but his body has not yet been found, he said.

Citing witness reports, Suratman alleged they were killed by
demonstrators who attended a rally organized by the Solidarity
Council of Students and Youths, a group that wants a referendum
on independence.

Josep Florindo Pareira, a police sergeant, was also killed in
Leorama by unidentified people.

He was killed only minutes after returning home after
attending a Roman Catholic church service with his wife.

Witnesses said two men shot him in the shoulder and abdomen
while he and two other members of the congregation counted
donations collected during the service. A total of 10 assailants
had surrounded the house of the East Timorese native.