Arrest warrants issued for suspects in East Timor attack

JAKARTA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Timor-Leste has issued arrest warrants for 12 suspects involved in the attempted assassination of the country's top leaders, the attorney general said Friday.

In an interview with reporters, Longuinhos Monteiro said 12 warrants were handed over to police on Thursday and five more would follow soon. However, the names of the suspects were not immediately available.

A group of rebels attacked the homes of Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao this week. Ramos-Horta was critically wounded and was flown to Australia for life-saving medical treatment while Prime Minister Gusmao escaped unharmed.

President Ramos-Horta has undergone three operations in a hospital in the Australian city of Darwin.