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CNN Sunday Morning

Deadly Attack in Nepal

Aired February 17, 2002 - 10:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's being called the deadliest attack ever by Maoist rebels in Nepal. More than 120 police and army troops were killed this weekend in gun battles with the rebels. The fighting also took a heavy toll on the rebels. Journalist Suman Pradhan joins us on the phone from Nepal's capital at Kathmandu with the latest. What is the latest?

SUMAN PRADHAN, FREELANCE JOURNALIST: Yes Miles, the latest information here is that the army and police soldiers have been telling CNN that more than 130 bodies, mostly of policeman, soldiers, and some civilians have been recovered from the rubble in the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is about 600 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, the capital. But the government has confirmed the death of only 107 yet.

The death toll could go higher because the army and the police are still searching for other bodies right now and on the attack, it is being termed here as the largest single casualty on the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) side in a single day since the Maoist insurgency surfaced in Nepal in early 1996. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) be demanding a republican state in Nepal, but Nepal is a constitutional monarchy and a parliament of democracy. And the government has rejected those demands (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and that's why this incident has been going on for the last six years -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Suman, do you have any sense of how many casualties the rebels might have endured?

PRADHAN: Well the government, the state radio -- the state radio is announcing at least 100 casualties on the rebels side, but there's no confirmation yet because they have said they have recovered the body of only three Maoist rebels, but going on to announce that they estimate that more than 100 casualties on the Maoist side -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense -- give us a sense of why this might have happened now. Had tensions been brimming over or did this come out of the blue, so to speak?

PRADHAN: It did not come out of the blue. Tensions have been brimming over because you see the Maoist insurgency entered into its seventh year this week and they were mocking this anniversary in a very violent way, which is pretty usual. They did the same thing last year and the year before last year. At this time of the year they (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to commemorate their anniversary and besides, you know, a state of emergency has been imposed in Nepal in November and the prime minister has to seek parliamentary ratification (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by this weekend. So the Maoist are also (UNINTELLIGIBLE) parliamentary vote -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Do you have any sense, Suman, at this juncture what the retaliation might be on the part of the government?

PRADHAN: Well the government has been holding an emergency cabinet meeting inside -- even as we speak, the meeting is going on. But right now we don't know what the government actually will do because whatever the action the government could take sending in the army, the most potent force the Nepal government has on its side, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)declared three months ago.

So and even the army is suffering losses right now. So apart from appealing for more international aid and international help to fight Nepal's own war against terrorism, I don't -- right now we don't see what the government can do any further -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Suman Pradhan is a freelance journalist joining us live on the line from Kathmandu.

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