CANBERRA, Australia - East Timor's president was admitted to an Australian hospital Monday in critical condition after rebels shot and wounded him during what officials called a failed coup attempt.
Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta speaks to Reuters at his office in Dili in this June 29, 2007 file photo.
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Jose Ramos Horta was taken in an induced coma to the northern Australian city of Darwin after being shot during the attack on his home in Dili, East Timor's capital. The tiny nation's prime minister escaped a separate attack unharmed.
"During his transfer from Dili to Darwin he remained stabilized but in critical condition," said Ian Badham of CareFlight International, the medical evacuation service that conducted the flight for the president.
"He remained on a ventilator in an induced coma, which he was put into to control his breathing" as he underwent surgery in Dili and maintained during the flight, Badham said.
Ramos Horta had received multiple blood transfusions, Badham said.
He was delivered to the Royal Darwin Hospital, where staff were doing a full assessment of his condition.
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