- Title: NEPAL: 48 POLICE OFFICERS DIE IN MAOIST REBEL ATTACK ON POLICE POST
- Date: 8th September 2002
- Summary: (U4) SINDHULI DISTRICT, EAST OF KATHMANDU, NEPAL (SEPTEMBER 8, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV POLICE STANDING BY HANGER DOORWAY 0.07 2. GV, POLICE HELICOPTER IN THE AREA WHERE MAOIST REBELS ATTACKED POLICE POST 0.15 3. SLV JUNIOR INTERIOR MINISTER DEVENDRA RAJ KANDEL ARRIVING BY CAR 0.26 4. SCU SOUNDBITE (NEPALI) JUNIOR HOME MINISTER DEVENDRA RAJ KANDEL SAYING: "Around 2345 (on September 7) there was an attack. There were 73 policemen there and the Maoists had 1,000-1500 people. The encounter was from 2345-0400. The Maoists shot the police - 48 are dead, and two are missing." 1.32 5. SLV ARMED GUARD AT MORGUE 1.36 6. AMBULANCE ARRIVING AT MORGUE CARRYING SLV BODIES OF POLICEMEN KILLED IN THE REBEL ATTACK 1.44 7. SLV LORRY CARRYING MORE BODIES ARRIVING 2.07 8. VARIOUS, PEOPLE UNLOADING BODIES FROM LORRY AND WHEELING THEM INTO MORGUE (3 SHOTS) 2.41 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SINDHULI DISTRICT, EAST OF KATHMANDU, NEPAL
- Country: Nepal
- Reuters ID: LVAEJ9WTJ5JXD616B5A4N0GX40YB
- Story Text: At least 48 police officers have died when hundreds of
Maoist rebels, fighting to topple Nepal's constitutional
monarchy, attacked a police post in the east of the country, a
government minister said on Sunday (September 8).
The rebels attacked the post with automatic rifles in
Sindhuli district, 90 miles east of Kathmandu, late on
Saturday (September 7), officials said. There were 73
policemen at the post at the time.
"Forty eight police personnel were killed and two are
still missing after the overnight gunbattle," said Junior Home
Minister Devendra Raj Kandel, on his return from the scene of
the attack.
Officials said later that the bodies of two Maoist rebels
were also recovered from the scene and some policemen who had
surrendered after they had run out of ammunition were shot
dead by the guerrillas.
The raid, the latest in a wave of rebel attacks on
government installations, is the deadliest since emergency
rule, imposed in November and extended two times, ended on
August 28.
A senior government official said the government was
considering reimposing emergency rule because of the attack.
Emergency rule gives sweeping search and detention powers to
soldiers to help them counter the rebels.
The communist rebels have been fighting to set up a one
party communist republic in the world's only Hindu kingdom
since 1996.
Remote police posts in the Himalayan foothills have been a
favourite target for the insurgents, particularly in the west
of the country, but they have also stepped up raids in the
east since late last year.
More than 4,800 people have been killed in the revolt,
more than 2,900 of them in the nearly 10 months since peace
moves collapsed.
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