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Nepalese Army rout large force of Maoist rebels

In what appears to be the most successful counter-insurgency operation by the Nepalese Army yet, it is reported that some 700 Maoist rebels have been killed in the last week. These included more than 400 guerrillas killed when they were trapped by a well-planned early morning heliborne assault on a jungle training camp complex in the western area of the country, the 48 hour battle resulted in the capture of significant intelligence material, arms, ammunition and left several large rebel groups scattered in nearby Jungle.

Nepalese Security Services had been tipped off that the rebels planned an attack on the nearby police garrison in Rolpa. It is understood that the Indian Intelligence Service, RAW had provided significant assistance through SIGINT intercepts and indeed the possible provision of a limited amount of advanced Israeli surveillance equipment.

The attacks are expected to continue for several more days concentrating on further Maoist bases discovered in the remote
hill regions of Rolpa and Pyuthan. Several elite Battalions of Nepalese troops along with Special Forces units, Police and trackers supported by Armed Helicopters have been involved in extensive firefights with the guerrillas,but the true measure of the success of the operation and the damage done to the Maoist infrastructure in this region of Nepal will remain unknown for some time yet.

Nepal hopes for increased US aid

The Prime Ministers spokesman Achhyut Wagle has already claimed this operation as a major defeat for the rebels,
however a more cautious assessment was made by the Defence Ministry when they admitted that an accurate assessment of the losses inflicted on the rebels had been hampered by both difficult terrain and bad weather.

A major military defeat for the Maoist insurgency would greatly strengthen Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's position in talks with both President Bush and Prime Minister Blair this week, where Nepals increased credibility may encourage a marked increase in military and economic aid for an increasingly fragile nation.

During a recent visit to Nepal, US Secretary of State Colin Powell promised unspecified help to Mr Deuba's government but the suggestion has been that it was on the basis that Nepal was able to show a greater degree of determination in dealing with the insurgency and it is now confidently hoped in Katmandu that Mr Deuba's plea for increased assistance will now carry more weight in both Washington and London.

Maj Frank Hayes
 
 

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Richard M. Bennett is the author of FIGHTING FORCES a review of the worlds leading Armies, including many in the Middle East, published in September 2001 and is available from Barrons of New York  www.barronseduc.com  ISBN 0-7641-5343-9  and the forthcoming ESPIONAGE An encyclopedia of Spies and Secrets, which will be available from Virgin Books later this year.

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