150 Guerrillas Killed in Cross-fire With Police in Nepal

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 26, 2001

150 Guerrillas Killed in Cross-fire With Police in Nepal

About 150 members of the underground ultra-leftist guerrillas were killed in a cross-fire with police Sunday night in Solukhumbu district of eastern Nepal, a high level Home Ministry official said Monday.

At least six security personnel, including army soldier and thelocal chief district officer, were also killed in the encounter, Minister of State for Home Devendra Raj Kandel told reporters.

The army and police started firing at the guerrillas late in the night, when the latter attacked an airport, police posts, armybarracks and the district administration office in the district, Kandel said.

The security situation were brought under control Monday morning, he added.

More than 40 policemen, army soldiers and the civilians have been killed since Friday night when the guerrillas broke the four-month-long ceasefire with the government and launched well-coordinated massive attacks at police across the country.

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