Rebels abduct 90 students from Nepal village
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-27 15:44

Rebels abducted about 90 high school students from their classrooms in a remote mountain village in Nepal, the army said Monday.

The army said the students were abducted Wednesday from the Nepal Rastriya High School in Paudiamrai village, about 190 miles west of the capital, Katmandu.

The village is in a remote part of the Gumli district, a mountainous area where the rebel presence is strong. There are no army or police bases near the village.

Soldiers track rebels in Nepal.[AFP/file]

Local government officials said they were aware of the report, which came from army headquarters in Katmandu.

"We have had many reports of students being taken by the rebesl this month," said Durga Pokhrel, the district's chief administrative officer.

The latest case has officials concerned because the rebels usually release their captives after two or three days.

About 250 students were taken from a village near Paudiamrai on June 15 and sent back three days later.

The guerrillas have stepped up violence since King Gyanendra seized absolute power in February promising to quell the insurgency.

The insurgency has left more than 11,500 people dead.

At least 12 Nepalese police, soldiers killed in clashes

At least 12 security personnel were killed and six others injured in a clash with rebels attempting to capture arms from the military in southwestern Nepal, a senior army officer said.

The fighting, which took place on Saturday at Khandaha village in the district of Arghakhanchi, 335 kilometres (209 miles) southwest of the capital, lasted nearly three hours, Lieutenant Colonel Navjiv Rana said.

"Among the dead, six were soldiers and six policemen while six others were injured during the clashes with the rebels," he said.

Rana said the army repulsed the "huge" attack by bringing in reinforcements including ground forces and helicopters.

"They wanted to snatch arms from the security personnel but failed," he said.

Monday's Kantipur newspaper had said that 21 soldiers and police were injured in the attack. The Nepali-language daily also said there were "heavy rebel casualties" but Rana was unable to confirm this.

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