10 More Nepali Policemen Reported Killed by Guerrillas

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, November 24, 2001

10 More Nepali Policemen Reported Killed by Guerrillas

Ten more Nepali policemen were reported killed Friday night by the ultra-leftist guerrillas in Dang district of western Nepal, the state-run Radio Nepal said Saturday.

Ten more Nepali policemen were reported killed Friday night by the ultra-leftist guerrillas in Dang district of western Nepal, the state-run Radio Nepal said Saturday.

The underground guerrillas attacked the police office, districtadministration office and army barrack in the district and 10 policemen were killed in the cross-fire, the radio said, adding that casualties on the guerrillas side are not known.

A number of people including the chief district officer, policechief and the chief of the army barrack were kidnapped by the guerrillas, Devendra Raj Kandel, a home ministry official, was quoted as saying.

Earlier reports said 14 policemen were killed Friday night in Syangjya district of western Nepal in an surprise attack by the guerrillas, who on Friday launched armed attacks in many districtsacross the country, including a bomb attack at an airport in Surkhet district of mid-western Nepal, damaging a helicopter. According to The Kathmandu Post, an independent English daily, the army personnel throughout the country have been ordered to stay on high alert to take control of the situation.

These are the first massive attacks by the guerrillas at policeand civilian targets across Nepal since the government initiated peace talks with the guerrillas in late August this year in order to find a peaceful solution to the six-year-long guerrillas insurgency.

The three rounds of talks held so far between the government and the guerrillas remained inconclusive as the guerrillas demanded the establishment of a republican state, an interim government and a new constitution, which were rejected by the government.

The guerrillas insurgency has claimed about 1,800 lives, including policemen, guerrillas members and civilians, since it began in the Himalayan kingdom in 1996.

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