Former Guinea-Bissau prime minister Faustino Fudut Imbali is still alive, a military source said yesterday, contradicting reports of his death the day before in a bloody government crackdown.

Military chiefs had decided to keep Imbali in detention after he was severely beaten by soldiers and were keeping the details secret, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"He is alive and detained by the military police. He has been severely beaten by soldiers who went to arrest him. I confirm that he is not dead and he is receiving treatment," the source said.

On Friday government soldiers killed territorial administration minister Baciro Dabo, a candidate in the June 28 presidential election, and former defence minister Helder Proenca, who were accused of plotting a coup.

Both were considered close to the late president Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed by the army in March.

The interior ministry said Dabo and Proenca were killed when security forces tried to arrest them over charges that they were among nine coup plotters led by Proenca.

A source at Bissau's largest hospital on Friday said ex-prime minister Imbali had also been shot dead. Guinea-Bissau public radio and several local private radio stations also reported his death.