LHASA, May 3 -- China's armed police officers of traffic rescue left southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region and entered Nepal for the first time on Sunday to aid earthquake relief there.

The operation, approved by the State Council and Central Military Commission, was launched after a meeting in the morning on the Chinese side of China-Nepal border at the urgent request of Nepal.

Around 1:30 p.m., 160 armed police officers and 56 units of engineering machinery entered Nepal across the Friendship Bridge that links the two countries.

Their first mission is to reopen the road connecting the border pass of Zham and Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital.

The China-Nepal Highway, with a total length of 943 kilometers including 829 km in Tibet, was severely damaged in the earthquake on April 25. Workers had cleared the Tibetan section of the highway by Friday afternoon.

According to General Fu Ling of the traffic rescue brigade, a total of 500 police officers together with 180 units of engineering machinery would be organized into three groups and a reserve team to clear the road. Geologists have also been sent to assist in the operation.

Nepalese police met their Chinese peers on the border.

Fu said the officers would observe Nepalese laws and regulations, respect local religious belief and customs, and do their best to aid quake relief.