Battle of Same
Battle of Same | |
---|---|
Part of the Timor Leste | |
Result |
Inconclusive;
|
plus infantry and cavalry
1 wounded
The Battle of Same (4 March 2007) was fought in the village of
Prelude
Alfredo Reinado was a significant figure during the crisis, leading a mutiny in May 2006 during which nearly 600 soldiers deserted and triggered clashes between rival factions of the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) and the National Police of East Timor (PNTL).[1] He was subsequently detained on charges of murder and mutiny. However, he later escaped from Becora Prison in Dili along with 50 other prisoners on 30 August 2006 and had been on the run ever since, all the while attempting to negotiate a pardon. Following a large man-hunt he was finally tracked to a mountain compound in Same in late February 2007.[2]
The situation became serious after Reinado's rebels raided a police station west of Maliana on 25 February and stole radios, automatic assault rifles, pistols and ammunition. In response Australian and New Zealand forces from the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), including infantry from 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and armour from B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment, were subsequently ordered to seal off Same. Following the failure of negotiations between the Timor Leste government and the rebels, the decision was made to detain Reinado by force, with President Xanana Gusmão ordering international security forces to arrest him.[1][2]
Battle
On 1 March Reinado was quoted on Al Jazeera as saying that "Australian special troops" were 800 metres (870 yd) away from his hideout and that he would "fight to the end", criticising the government and stating that "if any political leader wants to harm the stability of this nation, I have a right to stand up and defend the people." Brigadier Mal Rerden, Commander ISF, subsequently delivered an ultimatum, saying that "any operation to capture Reinado would involve appropriate use of force", urging him to surrender. "He has one option. He can help the people of Timor-Leste by surrendering himself and removing the threat of the weapons... If he cares about the people of Timor-Leste, if he cares about the people with him now, he would give up his weapons and surrender. Anything that happens from now on is his responsibility."[1]
Reinado refused to surrender however, and following the written approval by the Timor Leste authorities for the conduct of offensive operations, four
Although many of the details of the operation remain classified, according to one report the Special Forces assault group moved in late on 3 March, while ISF conventional forces secured the approaches to the compound. An
However, for reasons that remain unclear Dili then ordered the Australian assault to cease, and the Special Forces teams were subsequently stood down. Reinado and nine other rebels—possibly including
Aftermath
During the clearance of the compound five rebels were found dead and one wounded, while a number of others were also captured. There were no Australian casualties in the operation. Meanwhile, a major ISF cordon and sweep operation of the area failed to capture the survivors.[2] Rerden was later quoted in the media as saying that the rebels were killed "because they were armed and posed an unpredictable threat." Further stating that "we don't have him," and we are "continuing the operation to capture him", denying that the operation had been botched although declining to give additional details. "Any operation is a series of phases... this operation is ongoing and it will succeed." He said his troops had cleared Reinado's base and captured some prisoners, but he declined to say how many.[3]
Regardless, despite successfully securing the compound and defeating the small rebel force, the most immediate consequence of the mission was its failure to capture Reinado. Indeed, he remained on the run, leading to concerns about the potential for violence in the lead up to
In August 2007 Reinado subsequently met with José Ramos-Horta, who was by this time President, with the pair backing the initiation of a dialogue that would seek a peaceful resolution.[7] However, on 11 February 2008 violence flared again, and Reinado was subsequently killed during a coordinated attempt to assassinate both Gusmão and Ramos-Horta.[8]
Notes
- ^ a b c "Timor rebel vows fight to the end". Al Jazeera. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 'Timor: Anzac Battle Group', Australian and New Zealand Defender Magazine, Winter 2007, pp. 22–26.
- ^ a b c d e Murdoch, Lindsay; Forbes, Mark; Nicholson, Brendan (5 March 2007). "Timor's rebel outsmarts SAS". The Age. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
- ^ "Speaker Bio- Brigadier Mark Smethurst, DSC, AM". Leading Men and Women to Challenging Objectives: A Leadership Discussion with Brigadier Mark Smethurst, DSC, AM. Sydney: SAP Australia and New Zealand. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 19 July 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ Horner 2008, p. 336.
- ^ "Reinado On Run, Four Dead in Same". The Age. 4 March 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
- ^ "E Timor President meets fugitive military rebel". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
- ^ "Shot East Timor leader 'critical'". BBC News. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
References
- Horner, David; ed (2008). Duty First: A History of the Royal Australian Regiment (Second ed.). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-374-5.
Further reading
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (2010). The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles (Third ed.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74237-335-5.