Agencies in Dili – Multinational forces stormed into the Oecussi enclave by sea yesterday securing the last slice of East Timor just days before an expected assault by militia groups.

"This morning Interfet established a lodgement in the enclave," Interfet commander Major-General Peter Cosgrove said, adding that Jakarta had not been informed of the planned action.

"I have no need to warn Jakarta on access into mandated areas, so I didn't," he said. "Interfet has now exerted its security presence throughout the entire mandate area."

General Cosgrove said the Interfet troops disarmed 40 militiamen wielding pipe guns, swords and knives.

Pro-independence guerillas say up to 70 people have been killed in recent days in the enclave, which is cut off in West Timorese territory and was the last part of East Timor the UN-backed force entered.

"With this move, Interfet has now exerted its security presence over the whole of East Timor," General Cosgrove said. He declined to say how many troops were there, but said the international force was taking reports of atrocities there seriously.

"There was no report of TNI [Indonesian troops] in the area," he said. "Any of these reports of wanton mass destruction don't just concern me, they concern the whole world community. That's why we are in there." General Cosgrove said troops had begun to move in around 5am. No shots were fired.

Falintil vice-commander Taur Matan Ruak said earlier this week that about 70 people had been killed in the enclave since early October, about 50 of them at the weekend. Humanitarian operations in the enclave will at first be handled by Interfet troops until it is judged safe for aid agencies to move in.