East Timor President shot in rebel attack

DILI—East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta was shot and seriously wounded Monday by rebel soldiers in an attempt to assassinate the nation’s leaders, and was airlifted to Australia for emergency treatment.
The 58-year-old Nobel peace laureate was injured in a dawn gunbattle at his residence on the outskirts of the capital Dili in which rebel leader Alfredo Reinado was killed, said Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Gunmen also targeted the home of Gusmao himself in coordinated attacks that prompted a state of emergency, plunging the nation into fresh crisis following deadly unrest in 2006 which saw international forces deployed to restore calm. After exploratory surgery at an Australian military hospital in Dili, Ramos-Horta was airlifted to the Australian city of Darwin for emergency medical treatment. “I am hopeful for his full recovery,” Royal Darwin Hospital General Manager Doctor Len Notaras said after seeing Ramos-Horta, adding that he had been struck by up to three bullets.
“The fact that he is in a stable condition is a good sign that we should see some reasonable outcomes for him... He’s not fighting for his life but his injuries are extremely serious,” he told. “The next 24 to 48 hours will be a critical time for all of us.” Ramos-Horta suffered two bullet wounds to the upper chest and one to the abdomen, Notaras said, adding that the president was heavily sedated but not on life support.

—Agencies