Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta said Friday that clashes between the government forces and rebel soldiers have eased after Australian troops arrived in his country.

Australia decided on Thursday to send troops to Timor-Leste at its request for military assistance to help restore order following continuing fighting sparked by the dismiss of 600 soldiers in March, who went on strike to protest against alleged discrimination in the military based on regional origin.

Several hundreds Australian troops have already arrived in Timor-Leste and the remainder of the promised 1,300 Australian troops would be there by the end of the weekend.

The Timor-Leste's government has also asked New Zealand, Portugal and Malaysia to send troops to help maintain the situation.

"The situation is generally more calm, with many more people and cars on the streets of the capital and some stores open. There are still some isolated incidents, some of them serious, in some suburbs," he said during an interview with Portuguese radio.

"But at the end of the day the Australian contingent, whose numbers are rising quickly to reach 1,300, will start to patrol the streets of Dili and I think the thugs behind the violence will be detained or removed from the city," he said.

He also said in a statement that he has continued to talk to all aggrieved parties in the hope a lasting peaceful solution can be found.

Timor-Leste's leaders on Friday agreed to terms of engagement for Australia's force of 1,300 troops and handed Australia responsibility for security, ordering rebels to surrender weapons to Australian troops.

Meanwhile, Australian Hercules C-130 aircraft landed in the Timor-Leste's capital of Dili Friday, carrying more troops and vehicles.

By early Friday afternoon Australia has 450 troops on the ground of its northern neighbor.

In addition, an Australian navy frigate is on station in Dili harbor to support troops while an auxiliary oiler is also off Dili. Five more Australian transport ships are en route to Timor-Leste.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced early Friday a contingent of 200 troops will be dispatched to Timor-Leste.

She said New Zealand will send an RNZAF 757, a Hercules, and army personnel firstly to Australia. New Zealand troops later left for Australia en route to Timor-Leste.

Source: Xinhua