The Royal Nepalese Army has renewed its allegation that the Maoist insurgents have violated international humanitarian law while attacking a temporary security base in the remote, mid-western district of Kalikot early this week.

Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) spokesperson Brig General Deepak Gurung (File photo)

Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) spokesperson Brig General Deepak Gurung (File photo)
Addressing a press meet in the capital, Kathmandu, on Friday, spokesman of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), Brigadier General Dipak Gurung, said the insurgents summarily executed some of the soldiers after capturing them. He said Kathmandu-based human rights activists themselves saw bodies of some of the security personnel killed in Kalikot clashes. The RNA has blamed insurgents of mutilating body parts of some of the security personnel after capturing them.

According to RNA, a total of 43 security personnel were killed during clashes with Maoists at Pili of Kalikot district overnight Sunday. The insurgents also killed a civilian contractor—who supplies ration to the army—after capturing him according to the army. The RNA has quoted surviving soldiers and local people as saying that as much as three hundred rebels may have been killed during the fierce clashes. The CPN (Maoist) has said it has lost 26 of its comrades during the gun battle.

Spokesman Gurung said 75 security personnel were still `out of contact.’ He said the security personnel were still looking for them.

The Maoists have said a total of sixty security personnel are under their control. In a statement issued this week, Maoist chairman Prachanda refuted RNA allegations that the rebels had executed security personnel after taking them into custody.

Brigadier General Gurung described the Kalikot incident as a ‘small reverse. “They (the Maoists) wanted to stop any development work in Karnali zone (because) the army was operating in their area of influence. We will continue with the development works and continue to remain in that area,” he added.

The RNA spokesman admitted that tactically, the temporary security base at Pili was not an ideal location. “(The decision) to set up the base there was technical one, not tactical one,” he added. We didn’t expect our workforce to bear such attack, he said. Gurung further said nearly 100 out of over 220 personnel stationed at the Pili base camp were non-combatants engaged in road construction.

Responding to a question, Brigadier General Gurung quoted surviving soldiers as saying that India-made INSAS rifles malfunctioned during the time of battle. “The weapons malfunctioned and the soldiers had to wait for it to cool down. After continuous firing, the weapons’ capacity deteriorates. Perhaps, they (the INSAS rifles) were not designed to function for longer hours,” he added.

In response to another query, Gurung said the RNA had not received any ‘lethal’ military aid after the royal takeover of February 1, this year. He did not elaborate.