Fed: Two milita killed by Australian peackeepers in Timor

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2000
Fed: Two milita killed by Australian peackeepers in Timor

CANBERRA, Aug 3 AAP - Australian peacekeeping troops have shot dead two suspected pro-Indonesian
militia fighters near East Timor's border with Indonesia.

A spokesman for the UN peacekeepers, Australian Captain Dan Hurren, said the clash
between troops and a gang of armed men took place at 12.30pm local time (1330 AEST) about
five km north-east of Maliana.

No Australians were injured in the clash.

It was the first time peacekeepers in East Timor under UN command have killed.

Today's shooting came only a week after New Zealand peacekeeper Private Leonard Manning
was killed by militiamen who crossed into East Timor from Indonesian West Timor.

Captain Hurren said reinforcements had been flown into the area, about 60km south-west
of the capital, Dili.

Four helicopters were searching for the remaining militiamen, who were armed with grenades
and automatic rifles.

He said at least one of the militiamen "was dressed in Indonesian-style camouflage
and armed with a modern military-style automatic rifle".

Captain Hurren said one of the gang members was killed during the firefight.

Peacekeepers later found another body several hundred metres away after they followed
a trail of blood.

The Australian Defence Department in Canberra said between three and five militiamen
were involved in the battle.

Last October, Australian soldiers, who were part of a separate Australian-led international
force, shot two militiamen to death in a border skirmish.

AAP sw/cjh/de p

KEYWORD: TIMOR DEATH DAYLEAD

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