Dili – Rival martial arts gangs staged rolling battles across East Timor's capital today after weekend violence that reportedly saw a man hacked to death, and others critically injured.

In the latest unrest to hit Dili scores of young men armed with pistols, metal bars and arrows faced off today in various suburbs of the city. The clashes follow similar violence overnight which left two men in a critical condition in hospital, paramedic Nelson da Silva Carmo said.

Maria Goncalves, 42, said her 27-year-old brother, Eugino, died after having his ears slashed off and tongue cut out. "I do not accept my brother being slaughtered like an animal," Mr Goncalves said. "I urge the police to arrest those responsible."

The worst violence happened overnight in Dili's Taibesse district when members of the gang Perguruan Silat Setia Hati, known as Setia hatia, clashed with the rival 77 faction.

The groups, which have thousands of members and an arsenal of conventional and traditional weapons, regularly fight. Their weekend battles spilled over into today, affecting several suburbs in the centre of Dili.

By late this afternoon, unidentified members of Setia Hati, armed with machetes, were stopping and searching minibuses for members of the 77 faction. A youth in Dili hospital with knife slashes said he was injured after being dragged off such a bus on the main road to Dili's airport.

Former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri returned to East Timor and the mayhem in the capital this afternoon after seeking medical treatment abroad.

Mr Alkatiri was permitted to seek treatment overseas after promising he would return to face further investigation over claims he authorised the arming of a hit squad tasked with eliminating his political rivals as East Timor descended into violence earlier this year. Mr Alkatiri vehemently denies involvement.

He is listed as a secondary prosecution witness in the trial of East Timor's former interior minister Rogerio Lobato for allegedly arming the political hit squad.

Mr Lobato has previously claimed he was acting on the orders of then-prime minister Mr Alkatiri, who resigned in June after street battles in Dili killed dozens of people. Mr Lobato's trial will resume on January 9.

Foreign peacekeepers, including a large deployment of Australians, are continuing to work to restore order in East Timor.