HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Terrorists attack Arghakhachi Hq
59 security personnel killed in battle

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Sept. 9: Fifty-nine security personnel lost their lives fighting the Maoists throughout Sunday night in Sandhikharka, the headquarters of Arghakhachi district in mid-western Nepal, widowing dozens of wives on Teej, when Nepalese Hindu women go on a fast to seek a long life for their husbands.

The terrorists, who came in the thousands, had simultaneously attacked the district civilian and armed police posts, an army post and government offices Sunday evening. In the bloody battle that went on until the wee hours of Monday morning, 34 civilian police, 9 armed police personnel and 16 soldiers lost their lives defending their outposts. The rebels also shot dead one civilian.

Those injured in the fighting are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Butwal, Pokhara, Bhairahawa and Kathmandu. Nepal Television quoted an injured policeman in Bhairahawa as saying the Maoists in the thousands suddenly attacked the police posts from all sides at 10 in the evening, using very sophisticated automatic weapons such as LMGs. The fighting continued till five in the morning.
Two night vision army helicopters that had gone to aid the security forces Sunday night suffered slight damages after the rebels fired at them.

The Defence Ministry said the Maoists set fire to almost all the government offices, including the District Administration Office, residence of the CDO, District Police Post, District Court, Forest Office and District Development Committee Office. A telephone repeater station and many government vehicles have also been destroyed by the fire started by the terrorists.

The Maoists have kidnapped Assistant Chief District Officer Babu Ram Khatiwada and Inspectors Rameshwor Khadka and Dambar Tamang.

This is the second major assault by the Maoist terrorists in as many days since the nine-month-long state of emergency was lifted on August 28.

The police post at Sandhikharka, situated 220 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu, had 160 policemen under a District Superintendent of Police. The headquarters also has one army platoon.
The offensive by the Maoists this weekend comes after nearly seven months of a major assault on February 16, when they killed 56 soldiers and 76 policemen in Mangalsen and Sanfebagar in far west Nepal.

The Defence Ministry said the rebels also suffered heavy casualties in the fight, but the extent could not be gauged. Some local people said they saw the Maoists carrying the dead and injured in bamboo baskets (doko), making it difficult to count the number of dead. Some bodies of the rebels have been found buried in shallow graves near the sight of the incident.

The security forces have mobilised a rescue and relief operation, and have launched a massive search and block operation in and around the site to hunt down the rebels.

The situation in Sandhikharka has been brought under control after added reinforcement was flown in by helicopter throughout the day. Nepal Television, quoting the local people, said gunfire could still be heard around the area of the incident till seven in the evening.

On Saturday night, the terrorists killed 49 policemen at the Bhiman police post, 90 kilometers east of the capital.

In a separate incident, the security forces killed nine terrorists at Fulbari of Dang district in far west Nepal during an encounter Sunday, the Defence Ministry said. Terrorists who died have been identified as Dharma Dhaire, Top Bahadur B.K., alias Bakhre, Chudamani, alias Bhariwal, Ram Kumar, alias Mailo, Top Bahadur Nepal and Manoj along with three others.

The security personnel recovered guns, socket bombs, equipment used for making electric ambushes and explosives. During their search operation, the security forces recovered four guns from different places of Jhapa on Friday. One person was injured in Gorahi of Dang when the security forces opened fire after he violated curfew orders.

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