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Sharp end: Not all Timorese are as welcoming, with some firing steel darts at International Security Forces.
Photos by Cpl Michael Davis |
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AUSTRALIAN soldiers in Timor-Leste are used to welcoming smiles from locals, but they are also aware of the threat posed by some gang members armed with 15-25cm steel darts.
These crude yet effective steel darts are fired by youths during localised street violence and cause significant injuries among locals participating in, or inadvertently caught in, violent outbreaks.
Two Timorese died on February 23 after Australian troops fired shots after they were attacked by steel arrows.
The Defence Department said while International Security Force’s (ISF) personal protective equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures countered much of the threat, the steel rods remained of high concern.
The darts are fired through a hand-held catapult-type launcher and generate enough velocity to cause significant injuries or death.
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