Kevin Rudd, Australia’s prime minister, on Friday said he would keep his country’s 1,100 troops in East Timor as long as required and do whatever is necessary to uphold the country’s fragile democracy.

Mr Rudd made the promise during a lightning visit to East Timor, arranged hastily after Monday’s assassination attempts on Jose Ramos Horta, president, and Xanana Gusmão, prime minister, by renegade soldiers.