Jakarta – Separatist (sic) rebels in East Timor killed two Indonesian policemen and wounded seven in an ambush Tuesday, according to an official who declined to be named

He said 18 police in two trucks were ambushed by about ten rebels in Lega district 160 kilometers east of the East Timor capital, Dili. After a skirmish, the rebels fled to nearby mountains.

The police were among security forces deployed to maintain security in the district of Baguya during general elections scheduled for Thursday.

On April 7, East Timor Fretilin [actually should be Falintil] rebels carried out a similar attack in Viqueque district 200 kilometres east of Dili, killing six people and wounding five.

The Fretilin movement launched an armed rebellion against the government in 1976, and remains active in the former Portuguese colony although its attacks have grown rarer.

Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed it the following year, sparking international criticism and local dissent. The United Nations has never recognized Indonesia's sovereignty over East Timor and regards Portugal as the adminsitering power.