Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta regained consciousness on Thursday, 10 days after he was shot in an assassination attempt in Timor-Leste's capital Dili, according to a spokeswoman for the president.
"He is slowly waking up," and has started speaking to his family, said Luke Gosling, a Ramos-Horta aide who is with him in northern Australian city Darwin.
"The President has said a few words to family and is resting," Gosling said in a statement.
Ramos-Horta has undergone surgery in a hospital in Darwin since Feb. 11 and has been heavily sedated at the hospital to help him stay still and avoid pain.
In an suspected coup operation, the suspected rebels shot Ramos-Horta at his home and attacked Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on Feb.11. Ramos-Horta was critically wounded while Gusmao escaped injury.
Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the back and chest. He was put onlife support and airlifted to Darwin.
The attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the attack on Ramos-Horta.
Arrest warrants have been issued against 17 suspected people and Timor-Leste police and international troops have been hunting for rebels.
Since the incident, Australia has reinforced its troops in Timor-Leste and has dispatched three U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents to the country on Wednesday to join the probe into the attacks.
Source: Xinhua
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