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Four rebels killed, dozen injured in security actions
KATHMANDU, DEC 12 - Four Maoist rebels, including a district commander, were killed and a dozen others injured in separate incidents of encounters with security forces in Rupandehi and Sarlahi, according to reports.
In Rupandehi, three armed-Maoists fell to army action at Basgadhi, located about 17 km west of Butwal, during firefight with the combined security forces this morning. The security forces have identified two as Anup, district commander and Hari, while the third killed is yet to be identified.
A Lieutenant of the Royal Nepal Army and a Police Inspector were also injured in the incident. Two others are believed to have been injured in the exchange of fire but they were taken away by other rebels. The forces recovered five socket bombs from the site. Some Maoist suspects were also arrested from the village.
Sources claimed that the slain Maoists had been involved in robbing the Butwal-based Bank of Kathmandu last month. The rebels are believed to have used the western part of the district as a safe route to supply arms to the hill districts. A massive search operation has been launched in the area to flush out the rebels.
Meanwhile, in Sarlahi, one woman rebel was shot dead and over a dozen others injured in fierce exchange of fire with the security forces in the Chure hill located between Sarlahi and Sindhuli districts today morning. The woman rebel has been identified as Arpana. The security forces stationed on the foothill of the Chure range had returned fire at the rebels firing from top of the hill.
"The rebels were defensive and forced to retreat from their position," said a security official.
A report from Dhading said that the rebels captured Nepali Congress cadre Hari Tiwari’s house and land in Kudwar Village in Maidi VDC and have imposed a ban on transaction. A notice issued by Subhas Tamang, Chief of the Joint District People’s Committee, has warned dire consequences for trying to buy Tiwari’s property. The notice also said that the party decided to take such action as Tiwari repeatedly refused to pay taxes to the party. Currently, the Tiwari family is taking refuge in the capital.In Gorkha, newly nominated deputy-mayor of the Prithvi Narayan Municipality, Parashu Ram Pudasaini, has tendered his resignation due to repeated warnings by the rebels. In his resignation, he has, however, stated "health and practical reasons" behind his decision to quit the post.
In Bara, security forces at the Nijgadh-based joint base camp successfully foiled a Maoist bid to overrun the camp last night. Both sides had exchanged fire for about one-and-half hours but no casualty was reported.
In the beginning, the rebels had exploded two socket bombs inside the camp and had opened fire by hiding in a sugarcane farm from northeast of the barrack. The security forces defused an unexploded socket bomb today morning.
In another incident, two unidentified persons looted Rs. 29,000 in cash from Kedar Khanal of Nirdhan Utthan Bank at a place lying between Buniyad and Rampur Tokani area. Khanal said that the looters on a motorbike looted the cash amount at gunpoint. It is still unclear if they were Maoists.
Likewise, the rebels exploded a powerful bomb at a vacated traffic police post situated at the main chowk of Sunawal bazaar last night, according to locals. Policemen stationed at the post were transferred to Kawasoti for security reasons last month.
In Parbat, students loyal to the Maoists have ordered the closure of a community-managed school at Dimuwa. They have given a seven-day ultimatum to shut down the school, otherwise they said that "they would take strong action against the parents".
In yet another report from Parbat, six youth who were earlier abducted by the rebels on charges of killing their own friend have managed to escape from a Maoist "labour camp" recently. Five youth were abducted from Beulibas and another one from Lankhu Deurali VDCs. Locals said that Rosan Rana of Beulibas VDC-3 was killed over a minor dispute and Rana’s father and brother were injured in the incident. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Manipal Teaching Hospital in Pokhara.Posted on: 2003-12-13 04:07
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