DILI, May 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 foreign troops are expected to escalate their patrol to more danger-prone areas of the capital of Timor-Leste, as burning and looting of houses and supermarkets occurred here Sunday.

    "Our security has not been guaranteed yet, because the troops have not deployed to fill posts in vulnerable areas," said refugee Yosa Asa, who had taken shelter in a tent since the violence erupted earlier this week.

    Troops mainly from Australia were only stationed at major points of the city and only patrolled around places like the airport and the president's office building.

    Asa said that if the troops could be present at the vulnerable areas permanently, they would return home.

    The 40-year-old man, whom once worked for the Manpower Ministry and took shelter along with thousands of other people, said that people were still panic on possible attacks from deserted military men.

    The ministry once asked help from foreign soldiers to guard them in distributing aids to the internal displaced people.

    "We have to disburse aids to some areas, where we might get attacked when we were on our way to the place," he said.

    Hundreds of people in the city were involved in rage while getting an aid of 50 kilograms of rice per person from the government. The accident injured two people.

    Foreign Minister Ramos Horta was requested to come to the scene to calm down furious internally displaced persons.

    "I come here to help and the situation is becoming a little bit out of control," said Horta.

    Meanwhile, taxi driver Zoorze Costa told Xinhua that fears over insecurity paralyzed the city life.

    "Normally, people still move around until three o'clock in the morning, but now no one dares to go out in the evening," he said.

    A 21-year-old refugee Asis Cemenes said she was afraid to go out, because many houses were burned and some people were killed in recent days.

    Under Dili's permission, Australia, together with New Zealand, Portuguese and Malaysia, sent troops here to help contain the situation.

    Tension was high in recent days as some 600 people sacked from the military in April set fire on houses and exchanged fire with Timor-Leste soldiers earlier this week. To make things worse, rioters started to rush to the streets to burn and loot properties in recent days.

    At least 23 people were killed and dozens wounded after fighting began earlier this week.

    Hundreds of U.N. employees were evacuated from Timor-Leste on Sunday, while thousands of residents reportedly fled from Dili, leaving city streets deserted and neighborhoods abandoned.

    Reports said that the current riots were triggered off by faction clashes within the military and might escalate into civil war.

    Timor-Leste was part of Indonesia in 1976 after centuries of Portuguese control, and became independence in 2002 following a referendum in 1999. Enditem

¡¡(By Yanda and Xia Lin )¡¡