Military

DATE=20/16/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-308664

TITLE=NEPAL/ANTI-REBEL (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA

DATELINE=

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: In Nepal, security forces have stormed a Maoist guerrilla training camp, killing at least 25 rebels. As Anjana Pasricha reports, intensified fighting in the past week has killed more than a 100 people in the mountain kingdom.

TEXT: Nepal's state radio announced Thursday that troops attacked and destroyed a rebel training camp in Accham district, about 500 kilometers west of the capital Kathmandu. It says many rebels were killed in a five-hour gun battle.

Officials say several rebels, including women fighters were also killed in two other clashes in neighboring districts (Dang and Salyan) on Wednesday.

The government offensive followed rebel attacks on a security post and a police training camp earlier this week. The government said scores of guerrillas were killed in those clashes.

The violence erupted after Maoists ended a temporary truce called to mark the country's main Hindu Dashain festival.

The clashes usually take place in remote districts - and independent verification is difficult. Maoist rebels do not comment on the fighting.

The rebels are fighting to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist government. They walked out of peace talks two months ago when the government refused to change the country's constitution.

Yuvraj Ghimre is political editor with Nepal's "Kantipur" newspaper. He says there have been widespread calls for

resumption of the peace process between the rebels and the government.

/ / / GHIMRE ACTUALITY / / /

There is intense pressure from the public, civil society, as well as the international community on both sides including the U.N. (United Nations) that they should give up armed conflict and come for negotiated settlement.

/ / / END ACTUALITY / / /

However, political observers such as Mr. Ghimre say the fresh round of fighting has dealt a blow to hopes that the

government and the guerrillas may resume negotiations in the near future.

/ / / GHIMRE ACTUALITY / / /

The government has said it will always be open for negotiation -- that is the theoretical stand they have taken, even the Maoists have taken that stand - but unless there is a scale down in the violence that possibility cannot be seen at this stage.

/ / / END GHIMRE ACTUALITY / / /

There are growing fears that the conflict could destabilize Nepal's fragile democracy.

More than eight-thousand people have died in the Maoist rebellion since it began in 1996. (signed)

NEB/HK/MEM