cullinane
25th November 2001, 23:26
AFP. 24 November 2001. 35 police, soldiers killed in Nepal as Maoists
break ceasefire.
KATHMANDU -- At least 35 policemen and soldiers were killed as Maoist
rebels ended their four-month ceasefire with a series of attacks across
Nepal, home ministry officials said Saturday.
After the leftist guerrillas launched their assaults late Friday, King
Gyanendra held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba, who was considering sending the army in to contain the rebels,
sources said.
In western Syangja and southwestern Dang districts 24 policemen died in
bomb attacks on police posts.
Twelve Royal Nepal Army soldiers were killed and 28 injured when around
1,000 armed Maoists attacked a barracks, also in Dang district.
It was the first time in their six-year insurgency that the Maoists had
attacked an army post.
Home ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey told AFP that as many as
15 Maoists may have died in the attacks.
"There had been an exchange of fire between the Maoist rebels and the
security personnel and there is every possiblity that the Maoists have
also been killed and injured," he said.
Rebels also blew up a private airline helicopter at Surkhet airport, 460
kilometres (288 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, officials said.
"Before blowing up the helicopter, the Maoists had cut off the
electricity supply in the Surkhet airport tower and within 25 minutes
they attacked the Russian-made helicopter belonging to Asian Airways," a
government official said.
In Hetauda, 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Kathmandu, rebels
detonated a bomb at the district administration office, partially
damaging the building, but there were no injuries, police said.
Bombs also went off at government buildings in two northeastern
districts and in the western tourist town of Pokhara, but there were no
reports of casualties.
Local officials were also taken hostage by the rebels, state-run radio
reported.
The rebels also looted two banks in Dang district and fled with money
and valuables worth 788,000 dollars, the radio said.
Premier Deuba held an emergency cabinet meeting after briefing King
Gyanendra on the situation and government plans to tackle it.
A cabinet source said the government was expected to declare a state of
emergency in the worst-affected districts.
"If an emergency is declared in the Maoist-hit areas, the army could be
deployed on full scale to combat the Maoist terrorists," the source
said.
The government has previously held back from fully deploying the army to
fight the rebels, fearing it could lead to civil war.
On Friday the Maoists called for a nationwide general strike on December 7.
The party also announced a 37-member united revolutionary people's
council as its central government.
break ceasefire.
KATHMANDU -- At least 35 policemen and soldiers were killed as Maoist
rebels ended their four-month ceasefire with a series of attacks across
Nepal, home ministry officials said Saturday.
After the leftist guerrillas launched their assaults late Friday, King
Gyanendra held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba, who was considering sending the army in to contain the rebels,
sources said.
In western Syangja and southwestern Dang districts 24 policemen died in
bomb attacks on police posts.
Twelve Royal Nepal Army soldiers were killed and 28 injured when around
1,000 armed Maoists attacked a barracks, also in Dang district.
It was the first time in their six-year insurgency that the Maoists had
attacked an army post.
Home ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey told AFP that as many as
15 Maoists may have died in the attacks.
"There had been an exchange of fire between the Maoist rebels and the
security personnel and there is every possiblity that the Maoists have
also been killed and injured," he said.
Rebels also blew up a private airline helicopter at Surkhet airport, 460
kilometres (288 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, officials said.
"Before blowing up the helicopter, the Maoists had cut off the
electricity supply in the Surkhet airport tower and within 25 minutes
they attacked the Russian-made helicopter belonging to Asian Airways," a
government official said.
In Hetauda, 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Kathmandu, rebels
detonated a bomb at the district administration office, partially
damaging the building, but there were no injuries, police said.
Bombs also went off at government buildings in two northeastern
districts and in the western tourist town of Pokhara, but there were no
reports of casualties.
Local officials were also taken hostage by the rebels, state-run radio
reported.
The rebels also looted two banks in Dang district and fled with money
and valuables worth 788,000 dollars, the radio said.
Premier Deuba held an emergency cabinet meeting after briefing King
Gyanendra on the situation and government plans to tackle it.
A cabinet source said the government was expected to declare a state of
emergency in the worst-affected districts.
"If an emergency is declared in the Maoist-hit areas, the army could be
deployed on full scale to combat the Maoist terrorists," the source
said.
The government has previously held back from fully deploying the army to
fight the rebels, fearing it could lead to civil war.
On Friday the Maoists called for a nationwide general strike on December 7.
The party also announced a 37-member united revolutionary people's
council as its central government.