Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Nepal rebels kill 29 in telecom tower strike

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 00:36:49 -0500

Nepal rebels kill 29 in telecom tower strike 

Kathmandu, March 3 (Reuters): Hundreds of Maoist rebels stormed a 
telecommunications tower in eastern Nepal, killing 29 soldiers in 
their biggest offensive since peace talks with the government 
collapsed in August, the military said.

Army spokesman Colonel Deepak Gurung said troops killed 10 
guerrillas after yesterday's attack in Bhojpur district, a 
stronghold of the rebels who are fighting to replace Nepal's 
monarchy with a communist state.

"They bombed the telephone tower and destroyed it," Gurung said 
today, adding that communications in the area had been snapped after 
the attack in Himalayan foothills 500 km east of Kathmandu.

Another army official said more than 1,000 rebels, armed with 
automatic weapons and bombs, wanted to capture the district capital 
but were repelled by soldiers. At least 10 troops were missing after 
the clash that also left 23 people wounded. Violence has surged in 
Nepal since the guerrillas walked out of peace talks after the 
government refused to compromise on the future of the monarchy.

Officials say about 1,700 people, most of them rebels, have been 
killed since August, taking to more than 8,900 the total deaths 
since the revolt began in 1996. Gurung said the rebels also bombed 
the office of the district administrator and the local branch of a 
state-owned bank causing minor damage to the buildings.

"But they could not take away valuables or cash from the bank," 
Gurung said.

There was no comment from the rebels, whose revolt has crippled 
Nepal's tourism-dependent economy, scared away investors and 
threatened the stability of the kingdom, wedged between Asian 
giants, China and India. "The rebels ran away after an army 
helicopter with night vision facilities began aerial patrol," one 
official said.

The rebels have been blamed for a string of small bomb attacks in 
Kathmandu in recent days. Nepal has been in turmoil since King 
Gyanendra, who ascended to the throne in 2001, fired an elected 
Prime Minister the following year.
 
 http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040304/asp/foreign/story_2965827.asp

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