India provides anti guerrilla training for Nepal police
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Sept 17, IRNA -- In a bid to combat the ongoing Maoist insurgency in Nepal, India is providing anti guerrilla training for Nepal police near the Southern Indian city of Hyderabad, local press reported here on Friday. The training of Nepali policemen is taking place at the headquarters of an anti-extremist force, Grey Hounds, at Gandipet. Grey Hounds is recognized as the best force in India with expertise in tackling terrorists. The jungle warfare training, which is believed to be the first direct assistance of its kind provided by the Indian government, is expected to last for three months. The training might bring a halt to the ongoing negotiations between the Andhra Pradesh state government and People`s War Group (PWG) as intelligence agencies believe that PWG along with the Maoist Communist Centre and other revolutionary outfits have tied up with Nepal`s Maoists to carve out a Compact Revolutionary Zone, including Bihar, Orissa, Chhatisgarh and Andhra Pradesh insurgents. With 50 percent control by Nepalese rebels of 75 districts in Nepal, the Army has launched a crash program of expansion. Its strength, 44,000 when the insurgency began in 1996, is set to rise to over 100,000 by 2007-08. New Delhi has been helping Kathmandu with military supplies, but its focus has been more on training assistance to officers of the Nepalese Army. It is learnt that the number of vacancies allotted to Nepalese officers for military courses in India has been doubled. In fact, Nepal had recently recruited 6,400 men, mainly to tackle anti-insurgency, taking the Nepalese Army`s strength to 70,000. India had also helped Nepal Army with Rs 2 billion worth arms and ammunition last year. 2160/2330/1432
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