- Title: NEPAL: ARMY SAYS MAOIST DEATH TOLL AFTER CLASHES HAS RISEN TO NINETY SEVEN
- Date: 10th April 2005
- Summary: (W2) KHARA, NEPAL (APRIL 9, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. AERIAL OF SITE OF CLASHES 0.09 2. SLV NEPALESE ARMY SOLDIERS LEADING JOURNALISTS TO SITE; SOLIDER STANDING WITH RIFLE AIMED 0.22 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) CAPTAIN HARI BAHADUR BK OF THE ROYAL NEPAL ARMY, SAYING: "One of our men had gone to that hill known as Kami Danda, when he spotted around 1,000 Maoists coming. He informed us about the matter. We asked him to delay their arrival till we get more arms." 0.43 4. MV BODIES ON GROUND; CONFISCATED ARMS AND AMMUNITION ON DISPLAY; MORE OF THE SOLDIERS; SCU BULLETS; MV ARMS AND AMMUNITION (9 SHOTS) 1.27 5. SLV SOLDIERS STANDING NEAR THEIR BUNKERS 1.40 6. SLV JOURNALISTS BEING TAKEN TO SEE BODIES; MV BODIES LYING (8 SHOTS) 2.05 7. MV WOMEN STANDING OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES; SLV SMOKE COMING OUT OF PARTIALLY-BURNED HOME; SCU SMOULDERING EMBERS; SLV ARMED SOLDIERS (5 SHOTS) 2.21 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KHARA, NEPAL
- Country: Nepal
- Reuters ID: LVA2AR2OIVWV3AUCCKX13GSQ4W6Z
- Story Text: Nepal army says Maoist toll after clashes rises to 97.
Nepali soldiers recovered 47 more bodies of Maoists
killed in a raid on an army base two days ago, taking the
toll of rebels to 97 in the deadliest clash in the country
in five months, an army official said on Saturday (April 9).
The army said on Friday (April 8) it killed at least 50
Maoists in the deadly overnight clash after the insurgents
attacked their base with rocket launchers and mortars, near
the base in Khara in the rebel heartland of Rukum, 340
miles west of Kathmandu.
"One of our men had gone to that hill known as Kami
Danda, when he spotted around 1,000 Maoists coming. He
informed us about the matter. We asked him to delay their
arrival till we get more arms," said Captain Hari Bahadur
BK of the Royal Nepal Army.
The actual casualty figures might never be known
because the rebels usually carry fallen comrades and bury
them on river banks or jungles to hide their losses.
Soldiers said they were taken aback by the massive
number and were forced to open fire on a mass scale.
The Maoists are fighting to topple the monarchy in the
impoverished Himalayan kingdom wedged between Asian giants
China and India.
Terrified villagers, meanwhile are camping outside
their homes in groups surrounded by armed soldiers.
The violence came as an 11-day strike called by the
Maoists to protest against the King seizing power continued
to disrupt supplies. The strike ends on Tuesday (April 12).
The Maoist revolt has claimed more than 11,000 lives
since 1996.
Nepal's King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency on
February 1, sacked the multi-party government, seized power
and vowed to crush the Maoist revolt.
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