East Timor president in 'serious' condition after shooting

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta was in a serious condition Monday after he was shot by rebel soldiers in coordinated attacks aimed at assassinating the nation's top leaders.

The 58-year-old Nobel peace laureate was injured in a dawn gunbattle at his residence on the outskirts of the capital of Dili which also left rebel leader Alfredo Reinado dead, said Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres.

Gunmen also targetted the home of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in the attacks, which plunged the nation into a fresh crisis following 2006 unrest in which international forces deployed to restore calm.

"I understand that the condition of Jose Ramos-Horta is very serious but stable," said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, adding that the leader was about to be airlifted to Australia for emergency treatment on bullet wounds.

Rudd told reporters in Canberra his government would send "substantial" reinforcements to the 800-strong Australian troop contingent already deployed in East Timor to help stabilize the situation.

"This government will stand resolutely with the democratically-elected government of East Timor at this time of crisis," said Rudd.

Guterres said that two carloads of people went to the president's house at around 6:00 am (2100 GMT Sunday) and "assaulted him, but after rapid reaction by security his attackers fled away."

Timorese Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa said Ramos-Horta had undergone exploratory surgery at an Australian military hospital in Dili to locate bullets, one of which hit him in the back and passed through to his stomach.

Gunmen attacked the house of Prime Minister Gusmao shortly after Ramos-Horta came under assault, Guterres also told CNN.

"The attack was on the president's residence around 6:00 and at around 7:30 they ambushed the prime minister," he said.

A neighbour of Gusmao, Leandro Isa'ac, said "rounds of automatic fire were fired against Xanana's residence".

Gusmao and his Australian wife Kirsty Sword live at Balibar, in the foothills south of Dili, with their three young sons.

Addressing a press briefing, Gusmao said that the situation was now under control.

"Even though the state has been attacked by an armed group and the president was wounded, the state is in control of stability ... The current situation is proceeding normally and is under control," Gusmao said.

East Timor rebel leader Reinado was shot dead at Ramos-Horta's residence, Guterres said.

"Major Reinado was killed and at the same time one of the presidential guards was injured," Guterres said, adding that security forces were hunting for more of the attackers.

Reinado emerged as a key figure in the 2006 unrest and was arrested on charges of illegal weapons distribution, desertion and attempted murder. He had however escaped from jail and eluded security forces since then.

Indonesia said it was concerned over the development and a senior military official said forces had tightened security along its border to prevent the rebels escaping.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the attack "once again showed that the security situation in East Timor continues to be disturbed."
He said that with the death of Reinado, "hopefully the rebellion will weaken and it is our hope that his followers surrender so that the problem of security disturbances in this neighbour of ours can soon be overcome."

Reinado had emerged to lead a ragtag bunch of rebels who were demanding that they be reinstated in the army after being sacked in 2006 following their desertion.

Factions within the security forces clashed on Dili's streets, leading to at least 37 deaths and forcing East Timor's government to call for international peacekeepers to be deployed to restore stability.

More than 150,000 people were forced from their homes and the majority remain in camps at night, still too concerned about the fragile security situation to return home, or with no homes to return to.

Ramos-Horta was elected president in peaceful elections last year after serving as foreign minister and prime minister, while Gusmao was elected as prime minister after serving as president.

The International Crisis Group warned last month that East Timor risked descending into violence again if its government and the UN failed to quickly reform the security forces, which it said remained vulnerable to political influence.