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from AAP and The Australian
May 26, 2006.
SHOOTING broke out in the centre of Dili today as a new deployment of Australian soldiers headed into the capital on foot on a mission to restore peace.
More troops were also landing at the airport and Australia expected to have its entire 1300-strong task force in place by the end of the weekend.
East Timor’s Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said that his government would pull the armed forces back to their barracks in Metinaro and Baucau, at least 40km outside the capital. "They are returning to their barracks to await any further order from the president of the republic," Mr Ramos Horta said.
But even as the soldiers deployed there was news of one family being burned to death in their home in mob violence, and the UN said East Timor’s police force was in "disarray".
The Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson said Australia had further troops on standby if the 1,300 already committed needed support.
"If we do need additional firepower in East Timor we already have it here in Australia to be deployed," he said.
Today’s deployment comes after agreement was reached with the East Timor Government on the rules of engagement for the 1300-strong force.
Today’s deployment comes after agreement was reached with the East Timor Government on the rules of engagement for the 1300-strong force.
Mr Nelson has said that five Hercules C-130 troop transport planes were due to arrive today. The planes were expected to be used to evacuate more Australian citizens and other foreign nationals.
Mr Nelson said armoured personnel carriers and Blackhawk helicopter gunships have also arrived by heavy airlift and ship this morning.
"I am advised by the chief of defence from … a meeting we’ve had this morning that everything is going according to plan," Dr Nelson told ABC radio.
Dr Nelson said Australian troops in East Timor would use the "appropriate level of force" to return order to the strife-torn nation.
"The last thing that an Australian soldier will ever do is fire his or her weapon in anger," he said. "What we will do is use graduated scales of force to see that people behave in a lawful and appropriate manner.
"If we do see people who are not responding to lawful requests from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, we will use whatever level of force is required to see they are disarmed and do not threaten the life and safety of innocent people.
Earlier, Prime Minister John Howard said that all the Australian troops would soon be on the ground under Operation Astute.
Deployment so far:
- 220 troops from 4RAR on the ground in East Timor
- 150 troops from 3RAR arriving this morning
- Guided missile frigate HMAS Adelaide in Dili harbour, with ship’s company of around 180, plus troops
- Support ship HMAS Kanimbla off south coast of Timor
- Heavy landing ship HMAS Tobruk en route to Dili with 425 troops and ship’s company
- HMAS Manoora, with 300 navy personnel and 325 soldiers due in Dili tomorrow
- Four Black Hawk helicopters at Dili airport.
- Up to 150 commandos on the ground
- RAAF C-130 Hercules aircraft conducting evacuations
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