Jakarta – Indonesia said an attack on United Nations offices in East Timor on Tuesday was the result of a brawl between supporters and opponents of Jakarta's rule and denied any deliberate attack on the UN.

"Not at all. Any insinuation in that direction is completely wrong," Dino Djalal, spokesman for the Indonesian government's task force in East Timor, told Reuters when asked if the attack in the pro-Jakarta militia stronghold of Maliana was directed against the UN.

"What happened was there was a brawl between pro-independence and pro-integration groups. In the course of this brawl, which involved stone throwing, some of the pro-independence groups went inside the premises of ... [the UN]. As a consequence of that, stones were thrown in that direction as well," Djalal said.

In a statement issued in East Timor, the UN said militia had attacked UN offices in Maliana, on the border with West Timor, and hospital sources said six people had been wounded.

Maliana police chief, Budi Susilo, told Reuters that the attack was initiated by pro-Jakarta supporters and that those hurt included local UN staff. But he denied that militias were involved and said police had identified seven people involved in the stone throwing, although none had yet been arrested.