Battle of Same The Battle of Same ( 4 March 2007 ) was fought in the village of Same in Timor Leste , south of the capital Dili , between Australian Special Forces and Petitioner rebels under the command of Alfredo Reinado . The operation occurred under the auspices of Operation Astute , being the deployment of Australian forces in the wake of 2006 East Timorese crisis , and resulted in the Australians successfully securing the target compound and defeating the small rebel force , before the assault was called off by the Timor Leste government . Reinado and nine other rebels subsequently evaded the Australian cordon , however , and made good their escape into the mountains . Prelude . Alfredo Reinado was a significant figure during the crisis , leading a mutiny in May 2006 during which nearly 600 soldiers deserted and triggered clashes between rival factions of the Timor Leste Defence Force ( F - FDTL ) and the National Police of East Timor ( PNTL ) . He was subsequently detained on charges of murder and mutiny . However , he later escaped from Becora Prison in Dili along with 50 other prisoners on 30 August 2006 and had been on the run ever since , all the while attempting to negotiate a pardon . Following a large man - hunt he was finally tracked to a mountain compound in Same in late February 2007 . The situation became serious after Reinado ' s rebels raided a police station west of Maliana on 25 February and stole radios , automatic assault rifles , pistols and ammunition . In response Australian and New Zealand forces from the International Stabilisation Force ( ISF ) , including infantry from 6th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Battalion , Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and armour from B Squadron , 3rd / 4th Cavalry Regiment , were subsequently ordered to seal off Same . Following the failure of negotiations between the Timor Leste government and the rebels , the decision was made to detain Reinado by force , with President Xanana Gusmão ordering international security forces to arrest him . Battle . On 1 March Reinado was quoted on Al Jezeera as saying that " Australian special troops " were away from his hideout and that he would " fight to the end " , criticising the government and stating that " if any political leader wants to harm the stability of this nation , I have a right to stand up and defend the people . " Brigadier Mal Rerden , Commander ISF , subsequently delivered an ultimatum , saying that " any operation to capture Reinado would involve appropriate use of force " , urging him to surrender . " He has one option . He can help the people of Timor - Leste by surrendering himself and removing the threat of the weapons . . . If he cares about the people of Timor - Leste , if he cares about the people with him now , he would give up his weapons and surrender . Anything that happens from now on is his responsibility . " Reinado refused to surrender however , and following the written approval by the Timor Leste authorities for the conduct of offensive operations , four C - 130 Hercules aircraft carrying a task force consisting of approximately 100 Australian special forces troops subsequently deployed to Dili on 2 March . Known as the Apprehension Task Group , it was believed to include a Commando Company from the 4th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment as well as personnel from the Special Air Service Regiment . Under the overall command of Lieutenant Colonel Mark Smethurst , a Special Forces officer with extensive operational experience in Iraq and Afghanistan , the elite force was tasked with capturing Reinado and ending the stand - off . Although many of the details of the operation remain classified , according to one report the Special Forces assault group moved in late on 3 March , while ISF conventional forces secured the approaches to the compound . An S - 70A Blackhawk helicopter inserted one Special Forces team into the compound , while three M113 armored personnel carrier s from 3 / 4CAV moved on the Petitioners , inserting another Special Forces team into blocking positions . At 01 : 45 on 4 March a second Blackhawk deployed another assault group into the corn garden close to the compound . It is believed that the rebels subsequently detected the Australian insertion and opened fire on the helicopter , with the Australians returning fire in response and killing two rebels before continuing with the assault . At least two more of Reinado ' s men were killed and another wounded during the subsequent fighting , which continued for a further 90 minutes . However for reasons that remain unclear Dili then ordered the Australian assault to cease , and the Special Forces teams were subsequently stood down . Reinado and nine other rebels — possibly including Gastao Salsinha according to one source — were believed to have evaded the Australian cordon amid the thick vegetation , and made good their escape into the mountains . The Australians subsequently occupied the compound . Aftermath . During the clearance of the compound five rebels were found dead and one wounded , while a number of others were also captured . There were no Australian casualties in the operation . Meanwhile , a major ISF cordon and sweep operation of the area failed to capture the survivors . Rerden was later quoted in the media as saying that the rebels were killed " because they were armed and posed an unpredictable threat . " Further stating that " we don ' t have him , " and we are " continuing the operation to capture him " , denying that the operation had been botched although declining to give additional details . " Any operation is a series of phases . . . this operation is ongoing and it will succeed . " He said his troops had cleared Reinado ' s base and captured some prisoners , but he declined to say how many . Regardless , despite successfully securing the compound and defeating the small rebel force , the most immediate consequence of the mission was its failure to capture Reinado . Indeed he remained on the run , leading to concerns about the potential for violence in the lead up to East Timor ' s presidential elections , set for 9 April . Equally there was significant criticism of the conduct of the operation in the press in Australia and from the public in Timor Leste , with large crowds rioting outside the Australian embassy in Dili and in the village of Gleno where Reinado grew up , trashing cars and two government buildings . Ultimately the elections passed peacefully however , and by mid - April 2007 the search for Reinado was called off by the Timor Leste government , ostensibly in order to facilitate dialogue . In August 2007 Reinado subsequently met with José Ramos - Horta , who was by this time President , with the pair backing the initiation of a dialogue that would seek a peaceful resolution . However , on 11 February 2008 violence flared again , and Reinado was subsequently killed during a coordinated attempt to assassinate both Gusmão and Ramos - Horta .