60 anti-gov't guerrillas killed in fierce fighting in Nepal
PLA Daily 2004-02-18
KATHMANDU, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The Nepali government security forces on Tuesday recovered 60 bodies of the anti-government guerrillas after 48 hours of fighting between the two sides in western Nepal, Radio Nepal reported Tuesday night.
The fierce fighting broke out Sunday morning at Kotbada village of Kalikot district, some 600 km west of Kathmandu, where about 1,000 guerrillas were cordoned off by the security forces, the state-run radio quoted a local security official as saying.
Some security personnel were sent to the battlefield by helicopters Sunday night, and two night vision helicopters of the Royal Nepal Army were mobilized to attack the guerrillas since Monday morning, the official said on condition of anonymity.
An army lieutenant was killed and three soldiers were wounded in the fighting, he noted, adding that the security forces have controlled a local airport where the guerrillas have used as shelter, and recovered some arms and ammunition from the airport after the fighting.
More than 1,400 anti-government guerrillas have been killed in their clashes with the government security forces since the guerrillas unilaterally declared the breakdown of the cease-fire on Aug. 27 last year. The clashes also claimed the lives of about 360 government security personnel so far.
Over 9,000 Nepalese people have lost their lives since the anti-government insurgency broke out in the Himalayan kingdom in early 1996.
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