 However, nine days later, on 7 December, Indonesian forces invaded Dili.On 17 July 1976, Indonesia annexed East Timor, which it designated the 27th province of Indonesia, "Timor Timur" (Indonesian for "East Timor"), with Dili as its capital.A guerrilla war ensued from 1975 to 1999 between Indonesian and pro-independence forces, during which tens of thousands of East Timorese and some foreign civilians were killed.