Nepal army kills 96 Maoists in battle

Saturday, 09 April , 2005, 21:23

Kathmandu: The bodies of 96 Maoist rebels have been recovered after a major clash with government forces in Rukum district west of the capital, state-run television reported on Saturday as it showed what it said were rebel corpses.

"This is a big setback for the rebels," said an army officer speaking to the television crew from the clash site.

The television showed pictures of dozens of bodies lined up on the ground, along with a large number of arms and ammunitions allegedly used by the rebels.

Three security personnel had also been killed in the action Thursday night, the official said.
On Friday an army official said Nepalese troops killed at least 50 Maoist rebels during a night-long battle in western Nepal to repel a larges-cale attack on a security forces base.

The army official, who requested anonymity, told AFP that there were "confirmed reports that the bodies of 50 rebels in combat dress and 31 automatic weapons have been recovered from the clash site."

Nine soldiers were also wounded in the attack on the base at Khara village in Rukum district about 400 kilometers west of the capital, he said.

It was not possible to independently verify details of the clash in the remote area.

The Maoists are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and establish a communist republic.
It was believed to be the largest clash between rebels and government security forces since King Gyanendra sacked the government on February 1.

Gyanendra sacked the government and declared emergency rule, including restrictions on news coverage, on February 1. He said his power seizure was necessary to tackle a Maoist insurgency that has killed more than 11,000 people since 1996. Sphere: Related Content