Kathmandu, July 21: A group of about 50 Maoists attacked a police post at a customs office in the town of Sugauli, in southern Nepal, and made off with about a dozen weapons, police said today. The attack last evening was the first on a police post since the rebels and the government announced a ceasefire on January 29.

"The Maoists warned the policemen -- three constables -- to leave their post and after they ran away the rebels seized the arms," a police spokesman said. The Maoists had sent a letter to the post a week ago warning the policemen to leave the premises.

"They attacked because the police did not evacuate the place," the spokesman said.


After the raid, police chiefs in Kathmandu sounded an alert to all the regional, district and area offices to be vigilant against attacks. The raid is a setback to the peace process begun anew in January and aimed at ending an insurgency that has claimed more than 7,800 lives since 1996.


Bureau Report