All-out search for soldier's killers

By PATRICK GOWER

All 550 New Zealand troops in Private Leonard Manning's battalion are scouring the East Timor jungle for the nine men who killed and savagely mutilated their comrade.

They have already discovered what is thought to be the militiamen's abandoned basecamp near the border with West Timor, and believe they are still in East Timor.

The search is taking place in often impenetrable mountain jungle in an area that is a former pro-Indonesian stronghold.

Private Manning's body was returned to his family in Hamilton yesterday. The Army confirmed last night that his ears were cut off and his throat slashed after he was killed.

He was shot in the back of the head and in the right shoulder.

The acting senior New Zealand officer in East Timor, Colonel Phil Gibbons, said from Timor last night that the battalion was directing all its efforts to finding the group.

"We're continuing with our other duties," he told the Herald, "but the battalion is focused on this operation, and is committing all the resources it can to search the area."

While it was impossible to search every metre, the troops had spread out and were looking for places the militia men might be hiding or escape routes they might use.

"It will take time to search the area. Not only is the terrain tough, but it's a large area and we're looking for a small group of people. It really is a difficult operation.

" Hopefully, we find this group of militia or we can be clear in our own minds that there's no one there."

In Bali, Indonesia's regional military commander, Major-General Kiki Syahnakri, said Private Manning was most likely slain by Jakarta-trained militiamen from West Timor.

The New Zealand commander for Timor, Brigadier Jerry Mateparae, said the killing and mutilation of Private Manning put the conflict in East Timor on a different level.

"There is disbelief anyone would do this. It is an abhorrent act."

Meanwhile, Private Manning's death is having international implications. The United Nations had planned to withdraw the peacekeeping troops early.

But those plans were scrapped on news of the killing, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.

New Zealand's 660 peacekeeping troops, and several Iroquois helicopters, were due to leave next March.