Soldiers killed in Maoist attack, other details

November 24, 2001
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For the first time in a six-year communist insurgency, Maoists killed unspecified number of soldiers and injured several others in an overnight attack on an army barrack in Ghorai 360kms west of the capital, official reports said Saturday.

Radio Nepal said at least eight soldiers were killed. Rebels previously targeted only police in their attacks in the insurgency that has claimed more than1, 800 lives. At least 23 policemen died and 13 others were injured in overnight rebel attacks on three police posts in Dang and Syangjha district120kms west of the capital, police said.

Fourteen policemen were killed in attacks in Syangjha and nine others died and 13 others were injured in attacks on police outposts in Ghorai and Narayanpur in Dang, the home district of Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka.

Rebels also seized arms and ammunition from them. King Gyanendra, who is also Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepal Army, summoned Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the royal palace Saturday despite a weekend holiday for a briefing following the outbreak of fresh violence, a palace announcement said.

PM Deuba, whom is also defense minister, convened an emergency meeting of the National Defense Council (NDC). The King deploys the army, if needed, on the recommendation of the NDC, which has the prime minister, the defense minister, and the chief of army staff as members.

One person was injured Saturday in Tulsipur in Dang when a bomb left behind by rebels exploded in the town an official said. Maoists overnight broke a four-month truce to negotiate an end of Nepal’s worst internal conflict after three rounds of failed negotiations.

Maoists launched coordinated attacks on police posts, government buildings, business houses nation-wide; the rebels freed inmates from a prison in Putalibazzar in Syangjha after overpowering prisoners.

Rebels made sudden and daring attacks in more than a dozen of the nation’s 75 administrative districts causing extensive damage to property; insurgents escaped with Rs.150 million looted from a bank and financial institutions in Putalibazzar during a three-hour town seize that began at 10 PM. Maoist casualties in Putalibazzar were not  available.

Talks between the government and rebels were stalled over communist demands for a republic and an interim government to conduct elections for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Maoists apparently used the four-month to deploy under cover of talks after many died when soldiers were deployed in June to free 72 captured policemen in far west Nepal.

The rebel attack came three days after rebel leader Prachanda issued a statement virtually suspending protracted peace talks, which he termed meaningless and futile.