UN says violence appears to be organised as at least two more die

EAST TIMOR - The latest wave of deadly gang warfare in East Timor appears to be "organised", the United Nations said yesterday as more bodies were discovered.

There are also reports that warring youths have been fuelled by drugs and alcohol in what the UN said could be further evidence that the violence is orchestrated. UN police said at least two more people have been killed, and they are investigating reports of two more.

Fighting broke out among large groups of youths in the beachfront Dili markets area, near the US embassy, on Thursday night and yesterday morning.

A 29-year-old man died of apparent gunshot wounds, while a 25-year-old had knife wounds, an Australian Army spokesman said.

It comes just days after two Timorese were killed fighting at a refugee camp near Dili's Nicolau Lobato International Airport, which also forced the temporary closure of the facility.

"These incidents of fighting over the last few days, they have involved quite large numbers ... two, three hundred people in the fighting," UN spokesman Adrian Edwards said.

"When you get that number of people involved it suggests that these are organised in some manner."

But Army spokesman Keith Wilkinson said the deaths were "isolated", and not linked to the recent violence near the airport.

- AAP