INSAS rifles (Photo source : army-technology.com)
In response to the Royal Nepalese Army’s statement that ‘malfunctioning of INSAS rifles was one of the reasons for Kalikot debacle,’ the Indian embassy in Kathmandu has said the INSAS rifles have been used, without any complaint, in the most extreme conditions of weather and combat in the insurgency affected regions of India and also in the conflict in Kargil.

Made in India, INSAS stands for Indian Small Arms System.

“INSAS is a rifle. It has been the basic weapon of more than a million-strong Indian Army since 1995. It is also extensively used by the Indian para-military forces,” said the embassy. Despite being a holiday, the embassy was prompt to clarify its position regarding the controversy on Saturday.

The reaction from the Indian government came a day after a spokesman of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) said that ‘malfunctioning’ of INSAS rifles was
one of the reasons for huge loss the army suffered during clashes with Maoist insurgents last Sunday.

Addressing a press meet Friday, spokesman of the RNA, Brigadier General Dipak Gurung quoted soldiers who fought at Pili as complaining that the INSAS rifles did not function after continuously firing for a few hours without interruption. They needed to cool down before they could be used again, he said.

The embassy further said last year, the Royal Nepalese Army had raised a complaint about the INSAS rifles. A technical army team from India attended to the complaints by imparting basic training on its correct usage and also subjected the weapon to a punishing routine to prove its ruggedness and accuracy, the statement said.

“Our extensive experience of conflict situations has taught us that success does not depend on the weapon alone,” said the embassy adding, “If the Royal Nepalese Army is of the view that its understanding of this weapon is still incomplete, then the Government of India will be happy to again make arrangements to address their doubts.”

In what has been described as one of the biggest clashes since the royal takeover in February this year, the RNA has said it has lost at least 43 soldiers during the overnight battle at Pili while more than 70 security personnel are still `out of contact.’

The Maoists have said they have lost at least 26 of their comrades. They have said sixty security personnel are under their control.