Kupang – Six people, including Adj. Brig. Imanuel, a member of the East Nusa Tenggara police Mobile Brigade, were shot on Wednesday evening in a clash between security officers and East Timorese refugees in front of the local police headquarters.

Three of the five refugees shot in the incident were identified as Fransiskus da Costa, Aloysius Maria and Tome de Araujo, Sr. Comr. Edward Pakasi, spokesman of the Kupang police, said on Thursday. Imanuel is being treated at the Yohanes hospital, while the five refugees are at a hospital in Soe.

Edward explained that the clash erupted when a group of refugees went to the local police headquarters, demanding that their belongings, in the form of tables and cocks, be returned after being confiscated in a raid against gambling on Tuesday. In the raid, the officers also detained 16 people for their involvement in gambling at Kobalete stadium in Soe.

The refugees, who went to the police headquarters, turned violent by breaking the office's windows, Edward was quoted by Antara as saying. The uncontrolled action ended up with the clash between the refugees and the security officers, he said.

No information on who shot the victims was available. "We have no idea whether that was done by the security officers or the refugees. It is still being investigated," he said.