23 injured as rebels attack political rally
Hundreds of communist rebels attacked a political rally in a remote mountain village in Nepal’s impoverished west, injuring at least 23 people, police said today.
About 500 people had gathered last night in the village of Dullu to attend the rally for the opposition People’s Front Nepal party, which vocally opposes the Maoist rebels.
As the rally got under way, about 200 rebels swarmed the village and attacked party leaders and supporters, said police officials from the region, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The insurgents fled when security forces arrived.
At least 23 people were wounded, including the party’s general secretary, Navaraj Subedi. The injured were taken to the nearest town, and six of them were in serious condition, police said.
Authorities later imposed a curfew in the area, the scene of several rebel attacks this year, but lifted it this morning.
Dullu is about 310 miles (500 kilometres) west of Katmandu.
The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, want to replace Nepal’s monarchy with a communist state. The insurgency has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 1996.
Fighting has escalated between the insurgents and government forces since peace talks broke down last year.
The rebels have also taken bolder action in recent weeks, isolating the capital Katmandu during a week-long blockade last month to press for the release of detained guerrillas.
