Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will visit on Friday to show support to the Southeast Asian nation's government following the assassination attempts on its leaders Monday morning, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday.
"Reflecting the Australian government's, the Australian Parliament's and the Australian people's long-standing support and long-staTimor-Lestending friendship and special relationship with East Timor," Smith told Parliament on Thursday, the prime minister will fly to visit Timor-Leste on Friday.
A group of rebels attacked the homes of Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Ramos-Horta was critically wounded and was flown to Australia for treatment. Gusmao escaped unharmed.
Smith told the lawmakers that Ramos-Horta's condition remained serious but stable Thursday.
After the attacks, Australia has reinforced its security forces in Timor-Leste, dispatching more than 300 police and soldiers to make the total Australian troops there to more than 1,000.
On Thursday, the Australian troops, backed by helicopters, launched a hunting operation to search the suspects in the attacks.
Source: Xinhua
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