From: "Stasi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Nepal: Soldiers Killed By Landmine - BBC Sunday, 23 December, 2001, 17:22 GMT Nepal soldiers killed by landmine ====================== http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1726000/1726364.stm The rebels have been fighting for a republic for nearly six years Three soldiers in Nepal have been killed by a mine planted by Maoist rebels, the government says. A Defence Ministry statement said one rebel died in retaliatory firing after the mine exploded in the western district of Lamjung. The army has been attempting to crush the Maoist insurgency since King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency last month. The rebels say their struggle, in which some 2,000 people have died, will continue until the monarchy is abolished. The Defence Ministry said one of the soldiers died instantly after the mine exploded. Two other soldiers died later of their wounds in hospital. A number of wounded soldiers have been flown by helicopter to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment. In a separate development, the army says it destroyed a rebel training centre and hide-out in the north-eastern district of Dolkha - a known rebel stronghold. Offer rejected Last week, a senior rebel leader told the BBC his party was not against peace talks if the government was ready to form a constitutional assembly to draft a new constitution, which they believe would lead to the establishment of a republic. Mr Dinanath Sharma rejected the government's demand that the rebels give up their arms as a condition for negotiations. However, he said that if the government withdrew the army and agreed to the formation of a constitutional assembly, resumption of peace talks was possible. That demand was earlier categorically rejected by the government. It is believed that there are about 5,000 armed militia involved in the insurgency. Some 500 of them are reported to have been killed since the army operation began. But the rebels say this number had been highly exaggerated by the authorities. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
