East Timor Declares State of Emergency

Australian troops began arriving in East Timor on Tuesday to help enforce a state of emergency declared after a double assassination attempt that left the tiny nation's president in hospital with triple gunshot wounds.

An Australian warship also arrived off the Dili coast on Tuesday to support the first of 200 fast reaction troops sent to reinforce international security forces as doctors said President Jose Ramos-Horta would remain on life support until next week.

East Timor's president was in "extremely serious" but stable condition Tuesday in Australia after surgeons removed bullet fragments from an assassination attempt, while authorities at home declared a two-day state of emergency.

Acting President Vicente Gutterres announced the emergency powers in an address on national television following separate attacks Monday on President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in what Gusmao — who was unscathed — called an unsuccessful coup attempt by renegade soldiers.