Dili – Col Mahidin Simbolon, the East Timor military commander,firmly denied unconfirmed reports that six people were killed in a recent mass brawls in Uatolari sub-district, Viqueque, East Timor.

"It's totally untrue the reports saying that six people were killed in the mass brawls that occurred from 7 to 9 February. It's not true... Nobody has died," he told newsmen here on Saturday.

Simbolon also denied foreign press reports that a number of Catholic priests had been beaten during the brawls.

He further said that the fights broke out after a dispute among local youths and the fights have no political tendency and were purely criminal.

He said the brawls were purely criminal and that the authorities had confiscated daggers, stones and other objects from the suspects.

"We are still investigating the incident," he said.

Meanwhile, security authorities are still holding 109 youths who were arrested for their involvement in the brawls, a spokesman said.

"Initially, we arrested only 85 persons but the figure eventually grew to 109. One of them had fired a gun during the fights," said Dili Police Chief Col Yusuf Mucharam here.

He said the incident was sparked by a quarrel between youth groups. A group of pro-integration and Makikit youths became the target of another youth group that had gone wild.