East Timor soldiers kill nine police
East Timorese soldiers opened fire today on unarmed police in the capital Dili, killing nine and wounding 27, the UN spokesman said.
The incident appeared to be the deadliest in a series of gunbattles between renegade troops and government forces that threatened to plunge the UN’s newest member into civil war.
At least three people were previously reported killed and more than a dozen wounded in fierce fighting across Dili that sent terrified residents and foreigners fleeing for safety, some rushing to the airport.
The UN Mission in East Timor reported that after today’s hour-long attack on the national police headquarters in Dili by army troops, UN police and military advisers negotiated a cease-fire on condition that the police officers surrender their weapons and leave their headquarters unarmed, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
“As the unarmed police were being escorted out, army soldiers opened fire on them, killing nine and wounding 27 others, including two UN police advisers,” Dujarric said.
UN personnel evacuated the wounded from the site and brought them to the UN mission compound in Dili and the critically injured were then transferred to the Dili National Hospital, he said.
“The mission reports that UN personnel were able to rescue some 62 additional East Timor police officers and they are now being sheltered in the UN compound,” Dujarric said.
No further details of the incident were immediately available.
The UN Security Council scheduled consultations this afternoon on the worsening situation in East Timor.
