International

Fresh violence in Nepal, 44 killed

KATHMANDU FEB. 22. Barely hours after the Nepal Parliament extended the state of emergency, Maoist rebels unleashed a fresh wave of violence killing 44 people, including 34 policemen, while losing eight of its men to the security forces.

Twenty-seven suspected terrorists, including 12 from the capital, were today arrested during search operations even as a two-day strike called by the rebels evoked a mixed response.

The rebels last night attacked a police post at Sitalpati, 260 km west of Kathmandu, killing 32 policemen and injuring seven, two of whom later succumbed to injuries. Police retaliated and the encounter continued till early this morning.

The Minister of State for Home, Devendra Raj Kandel, said four rebels were killed in the attack.

Maoists hurled a petrol bomb on a bus early today at Bhandara in Chitawan district killing five passengers. Five more persons were burnt to death when rebels bombed a truck in Mungling in western Nepal.

The Defence Ministry said four terrorists were killed in fresh encounters in Kailalui, Baglung and Surkhet of western Nepal. A large number of explosives and 17 guns were recovered from various parts of the country.

The two-day strike called by the Maoists evoked mixed response. Not many vehicles were seen on the roads and major markets were closed. Educational institutions, business houses and shops in Kathmandu remained closed. Heavy police security was provided to important buildings.

Five persons, including a child, were killed and several others injured when the rebels attacked a lorry, defying their bandh diktat in Khairani, south Nepal.

In Dolakha district, a policeman was killed when he mistakenly crossed an electric trap laid by police for protection. In Mitrapark (Kathmandu), a labourer was injured when a bomb placed by rebels in a container on the roadside exploded.

Foreigners involved?

A new dimension to the Maoist insurgency has come to light with a policeman claiming that foreigners were involved in the attack on the police force. The Kantipur daily, quoting an unnamed policeman who survived the Maoist attack on Saturday, said some of those who opened fire at the police were ``foreigners and were using sophisticated weapons.'' The policeman said he had seen six such persons at Mangelsen in Achham district.

``They were carrying SLR, LMG and machine guns and fired at the Army helicopter that came for support early Sunday morning. Their appearance was clearly different from the Nepalis who were involved in the attack.''

He also said the police had suffered heavy casualties because they thought the attackers were soldiers as they wore Army uniforms. _ PTI, UNI

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