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Nepali troops search for rebels, reporters held
Nepali soldiers searched homes and hotels for Maoist activists in an intense military offensive to crush the rebels who are fighting to overthrow the country`s monarchy, officials and state radio said on Saturday.
Nepali soldiers searched homes and hotels for Maoist activists in an intense military offensive to crush the rebels who are fighting to overthrow the country's monarchy, officials and state radio said on Saturday.
Authorities have also detained about two dozen journalists and printers and closed down some pro-Maoist publications, the US State Department said on Friday. The detentions are part of a crackdown that began last weekend against the rebels and sympathisers.
State radio said that one man suspected to be a Maoist supporter had been picked up from a hotel in the rebel stronghold of Syngja in central Nepal.
Several more were arrested from Himla district, an official said. "They were in combat dress and carrying weapons," he said. Rebels tried to storm a police post in Kavre in central Nepal, but this was foiled by the army, deployed for the first time this week since the Maoist rebellion broke out in 1996. The poorly equipped police force had previously been trying to quell revolt.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has vowed to crush the rebels and said there could be no talks until they surrendered.
The guerrillas launched a series of coordinated attacks on army and government installations in the west and east of the country last week, prompting King Gyanendra to declare a state of emergency and call in the army.
Bureau Report
Authorities have also detained about two dozen journalists and printers and closed down some pro-Maoist publications, the US State Department said on Friday. The detentions are part of a crackdown that began last weekend against the rebels and sympathisers.
State radio said that one man suspected to be a Maoist supporter had been picked up from a hotel in the rebel stronghold of Syngja in central Nepal.
Several more were arrested from Himla district, an official said. "They were in combat dress and carrying weapons," he said. Rebels tried to storm a police post in Kavre in central Nepal, but this was foiled by the army, deployed for the first time this week since the Maoist rebellion broke out in 1996. The poorly equipped police force had previously been trying to quell revolt.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has vowed to crush the rebels and said there could be no talks until they surrendered.
The guerrillas launched a series of coordinated attacks on army and government installations in the west and east of the country last week, prompting King Gyanendra to declare a state of emergency and call in the army.
Bureau Report