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SYDNEY - A second East Timorese youth has died after being shot in a confrontation with Australian soldiers in Dili.
A Department of Defence statement said the youth, who was wounded during the incident on Friday, died in hospital yesterday morning as the result of his injuries.
The soldiers fired four shots in self-defence when they were attacked by youths firing steel arrows, authorities said.
A third Timorese youth, injured in the incident, remains in a Dili hospital in a stable condition.
UN Police and East Timor authorities are investigating the matter.
Commander of the Joint Forces in East Timor Brigadier Mal Rerden today said the situation in Dili was calm, with no significant incidents overnight.
But he said the incident could inflame tensions further, leading to a possible repeat of last December's campaign against Australians.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has issued a travel advisory warning would-be visitors "to reconsider your need to travel to East Timor at this time because of the volatile security situation and the high risk of violent civil unrest".
"Following recent deaths during violent civil unrest there is an increasing likelihood that Australians and Australian interests may be specifically targeted," the advisory says.
"Australians in East Timor concerned for their safety should consider departing if it is safe to do so."
Brigadier Rerden said the situation was fragile.
"There's always the potential, the nature of things is that locally people could be inflamed by the situation," Brigadier Rerden told AAP.
"We have made every effort to engage the community.
"Our soldiers, they operate in a professional manner ... (but) I think the situation needs to be monitored and we will do that."
The UN and International Security Forces (ISF) have been targeted in a series of rock throwing incidents, with 50 UN vehicles hit over two days.
Brig Rerden said UN Police and the International Security Forces had each arrested about 100 people in the past couple of days.
He said the situation was under control.
"The string of incidents have the potential to develop but interestingly at the moment it's been demonstrated ... that we can control this.
"There's always the potential in East Timor for things to develop but at the moment, I have to say, there may be a core of people who have intention to orchestrate violence.
"But the general population do want to get on with their lives and they see the elections as an opportunity to progress.
"Our intention is to support the elections to provide as secure an environment as possible."
He didn't believe a further increase in troop numbers was required. Currently, 930 Australian and New Zealand soldiers, in the ISF, support 1600 UN Police officers.
"We believe at the moment that we do have enough to maintain the security through the election period but, obviously, we will monitor that as the weeks go by."
He said the two soldiers involved in yesterday's shooting were back on duty after speaking to their family and receiving counselling.
"They are fine ... and being supported by their mates."
Brig Rerden said mostly the spike in violence stemmed from a rice shortage and ongoing gang violence in East Timor, but added some had been orchestrated to destabilise the country.
"We are aware that some elements do think that the future of East Timor is better served by not having international elements who are neutral and impartial operating in the country."
He said it was "of concern" that they were trying to weaken the ISF's ability to operate.
- AAP
