Two soldiers injured in attack

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Two Indonesian soldiers stationed at Nunura in Haekesak village, Raihat district, Belu regency, were attacked by Timor Leste residents on Wednesday.

The two soldiers, Second Corp. Heri Saroso and First Corp. Sugito sustained severe injuries to their arms in the attack, the second incident in two months, while conducting a routine patrol on the border between Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Lt. Col. Yul Aviandi, the commander of the border security task force, confirmed the incident on Friday.

"While patrolling, they saw a group of people from Timor Leste carrying two containers of fuel and two boxes of beer, and tried to stop them. But four other Timor Leste residents emerged from the bushes with knives and attacked the two soldiers," Yul said.

He said the attackers also seized the two soldiers' weapons, but these were later recovered by the Timor Leste Border Patrol, which returned them to the Indonesian Military. -- JP