The campaign ends at 11:59pm Sunday 13 September and may be renewed if “deviant behaviour related to this matter persists,” National Parliament said in a statement on Tuesday.

The security campaign will target places “considered sensitive in the city of Dili”, and officers will have the power to take control of situations deemed unstable.

National Parliament ruled that the operation will be done under the joint command of both police and defence force institutes.

The Commander of the Joint Operation Pedro Belo told the Independente the operation was necessary to stop further escalation of martial arts gang violence and restore peace to the streets.