Dili – An Interfet foot patrol has shot dead a militia fighter near the East Timor border with Indonesian West Timor, an Australian army spokesman said Sunday.

Colonel Mark Kelly said a patrol of about five men from the multinational forces opened fire on 12 to 15 militiamen at about 2.30pm Saturday after they were attacked two kilometers inside the border at a place called Alto Lebos, to the north of the port of Suai.

Kelly said the militiamen clearly posed a threat to the Interfet patrol. "Certainly by the way they were acting on the ground, they were in an aggressive posture.

They were clearly employing what appeared to be a sweep and clearance by fire technique. They came across the Interfet patrol's location," before the Interfet force opened fire, he said.

"It was at the last safe moment with the fire coming towards them, [at] their observation post ... they [the patrol] engaged by fire."

After the clash the militiamen withdrew towards the border region, but the dead man's body had been recovered, he said.

The dead man was wearing typical militia equipment, Kelly said, adding there was no indication he had anything to do with the Indonesian army. Troops from the International Force for East Timor (Interfet) suffered no casualties in the encounter, he said.