East Timor's crisis won't be sold until prime minister is gone, rebel leader says

Photo: East Timor's crisis won't be sold until prime minister is gone, rebel leader says

At least one person was reported killed in new unrest in Dili, despite the presence of more than 2,000 foreign peacekeepers. A whole row of shops and several vehicles were set on fire in one area of the capital, and several dozen Australian troops rushed to the scene.

Fighting between factions in the armed forces has given way over the past week to gang warfare, arson and looting, forcing tens of thousands of people to abandon the city or take refuge in camps scattered across the seaside capital, according to the AP.

The peacekeepers expanded their operations. The bulk of New Zealand's almost 200 troops started street patrols Thursday in the troubled Becora neighborhood in the city's east, freeing up Australian troops for other duties, the government said.

The fired army commander whose rebellion triggered the collapse of security, Maj. Alfredo Reinado, blamed Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri for the crisis and said it wouldn't be over until he was gone from office.

Four people were killed and dozens injured when a demonstration turned into riots in the capital in April.

Reinado said he would be willing to die for his cause.

He led a band of 600 dismissed soldiers into clashes with loyalist security forces which preceded