140 dead in Maoist attack on Nepal security forces

HindustanTimes ^ | 5/8/02

[swarthyguy]

Some 140 Nepalese security personnel were killed overnight in a Maoist attack on police and army posts in the western rebel stronghold of Rolpa, local officials said on Wednesday. Some 105 policemen and 35 army personnel died in the battle that raged until 4:00 am (0415 IST) the officials told AFP.

The attack occurred in the Gama area of Rolpa, where security forces have killed some 600 rebels in a week-long assault on Maoist training camps.

A source in the Nepalese cabinet confirmed the attack but said authorities in Kathmandu were still awaiting details on the toll.

"We have received an official report of Maoists attacking our security forces and setting fire to army and police posts," the source said.

Joint air and ground forces have been pounding the Maoist area since Thursday, in the deadliest offensive against the rebels in the six-year insurgency.

Police estimated on Tuesday that up to 500 Maoists were surrounded by the army in the jungles of Rolpa and that soldiers had blocked all the escape routes.

The assault on security forces comes as Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visits Washington, where he said he secured a strong vow of support from President George W Bush.

"I am very glad, I am very happy, President Bush is very much supportive to our campaign against terrorism and he has assured us he will help in many ways," Deuba told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.

[swarthyguy]

Way to go, Dubya!!!

[Dog Gone]

Yikes, those are some heavy losses.

[swarthyguy]

Yes, doesn't sound like clashes, more like pitched battles.

[Dog Gone]

I know they've been fighting this insurgency (at a much lower intensity) for many years. But who are these maoists? Are they the same ethnic makeup as the Nepalese, or are they predominantly chinese or muslim?

[Shermy]

Ping.

[DarkWaters]

Yes they are, but if you look at the last 2 years the Nepal gov. has taken some heavy losses with battles similiar to this. This is your classic ambush, which in all likely hood was made possible by someone on the inside passing on info. If this continues Nepal will probably fall in a few years just like so many of our one time allies.

[swarthyguy]

Native Nepalis - urged on by China and possibly the ISI. LarryLied told me the area they come from but i can't remember if its the same as the area mentioned in the article.

[swarthyguy]

If press reports are right, the Nepali army just killed over 600 of them before this ambush took place.

[Fish out of Water]

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