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90 anti-India rebels, 34 Bhutanese soldiers killed in virtual war

IRNA

Guwahati, Dec 17, IRNA -- At least 124 people, including 90 anti-India
rebels and 34 Bhutanese soldiers were killed in a virtual war between 
Bhutanese troops and anti-Indian rebels in southern Bhutan since 
Monday, according to press reports on Wednesday. 
Of the rebels killed, 12 were from separatist Kamatapur Liberation
Organization (KLO) from West Bengal, 38 from the outlawed United 
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and 40 from National Democratic Front 
of Bodoland (NDFB). 
Indian army helicopters Tuesday evacuated at least 16 Bhutanese 
soldiers wounded in attacks by Indian separatists inside the tiny 
Himalayan kingdom as the rebels were putting up a challenge to the 
continuing military offensive, officials said. 
"At least 16 soldiers of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) were also 
injured in attacks by militants and they were evacuated by Indian army
helicopters," Yashe Dorji, Director of Bhutan`s Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, told IRNA by telephone from the southern district headquarter
of Samdrup Jongkhar. 
"The injured soldiers, four of them seriously, were either 
receiving treatment in Bhutan or possibly shifted to some hospitals in
adjoining India." 
At least 6,000 Bhutanese soldiers launched a pre-dawn attack 
Monday in seven different locations in southern Bhutan where three 
Indian separatist groups have well-entrenched bases. 
"The soldiers have launched simultaneous offensives to flush out 
the rebels in Samtse, Kalikhola, Sarpang, Nganglang, Samdrup Jongkhar,
Bhangtar and Daifam," Dorji said. 
Bhutan estimates there could be about 3,000 rebels from three 
Indian separatist groups inside the kingdom that shares an unfenced 
border with the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal. 
Two separatist groups from Assam - ULFA, NDFB, as well KLO, have 
well-entrenched bases in Bhutan. The groups are fighting for 
independent homelands in India. 
The ULFA leader said troops had captured one of their main bases 
while fierce fighting was going on in several other areas. 
Bhutan said it had asked the rebels on Saturday to `quit` the 
country within 48-hours. The military operations came after six years 
of failed talks with the rebels, a largely Buddhist kingdom of 
700,000 people. 
/211 
End