December 09, 2001

KATHMANDU: At least 50 Maoist rebels were killed in more than seven hours of fierce fighting between soldiers and rebels in Ratmate of Rolpa district Saturday night and Sunday morning, Ministry of Defence said.

In a press release issued Sunday, Defence Ministry said that a large number of Maoist rebels attacked army personnel stationed in Ratmate to protect the Nepal Telecommunication tower, which led to fierce fighting for seven hours with the rebels.

Army personnel valiantly repulsed the attack of Maoist rebels, the Ministry said. In the fighting, four army personnel were killed and 8 others were injured. Defence Ministry said that the casualties in the rebel side might have been quite large. But, that could not be assessed due to the bad weather, the Ministry said.

The Ministry’s press release said that rebels took away the bodies of their people who died while fighting the army. The injured army personnel were flown to Kathmandu for treatment. The Defence Ministry said that more troops were flown to Ratmate of Rolpa to assist the army personnel stationed there.

Rebels used weapons looted from the army barrack in Dang, the press release said. Army personnel seized three LMGs and other weapons from rebels. Similarly, two rebels were killed in a skirmish when rebels attacked an army patrol in Chaughadda of Nuwakot district.

In their search operations, soldiers arrested twenty five people in Nuwakot, six in Bajura, four in Kathmandu, seven in Banke and two in Bardiya, the Defence Ministry said. Maoist rebels also attacked army personnel in other districts but soldiers repulsed their attacks, the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, ex-serviceman Sitaram Rai was killed when a bomb planted by Maoist rebels exploded in Dhikhure of Nuwakot. Rebels also attacked the house of a soldier of the Royal Nepalese Army, Chanas Rai, and killed Rai’s father in Nuwakot, Defence Ministry said.

In their search operation, security personnel arrested 60 people in Gorkha district, Home Ministry said.