NEWS: Nepal - At least 50 killed rebels in gunbattle, page 1

Nepali soldiers opened fire on Maoist rebels in a gunbattle that killed at least 50 of them, being the deadliest battling since King Gyanendra seized power last month. Exact numbers of the dead are uncertain as guerrillas usually take away their own dead for burial elsewhere. Four soldiers were also killed.

www.reuters.com
Gyanendra blamed Nepal's warring politicians for failing to tackle the Maoists, who are estimated to control more than two-thirds of the impoverished Himalayan nation,

But India and Britain, which have given helicopters and guns to the Nepali army to fight the rebels, criticized Gyanendra's decision to take absolute power, and halted military supplies to the embattled nation.

The army officer said the latest fighting began near the jungles of Bardiya after the rebels fired on a group of soldiers who had gone to remove barricades set up by the rebels to enforce a transport blockade last month.

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It sounds like a real mess out there and seemingly it seems both sides of the conflict are willing to fight to the end as King Gyanendra tries to tighten his grip on the country. However, I don't know if it's classed as gun-battle when at least 50 rebels are killed and 4 soldiers are. That sounds quite one-sided to me but the details of the actual battle are not quite clear just yet.

Related News Links:
bbc.co.uk

[edit on 1-3-2005 by John Nada]

[edit on 1-3-2005 by John bull 1]

[edit on 2-3-2005 by John bull 1]