December 25, 2001

KATHMANDU: The army Tuesday recovered 10,000 rounds of hidden bullets in Ropla district stolen from an army barrack at Ghorai in Dang district November 23 in the first Maoist attack against soldiers in six years of communist insurgency prompting the government to declare rebels terrorists and slap a state of emergency nation-wide three days later, the Defence Ministry said Tuesday.

Security forces also captured guns and explosives from Korchawang in the district, an official announcement said. Security forces also seized 18 more guns and “government equipment” from rebels at Gadi in Makwanpur district, the Defence Ministry said.