Rebels attack Nepal police post

NEPAL: A group of former communist guerrillas attacked a police post in Nepal’s mountainous north, beat up the policemen and stole their guns, officials said Friday.

In the first such attack since the rebels gave up an armed revolt and joined a peace process last year, two dozen men stormed the police post Thursday at Satdobato village in Nuwakot district, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital, Katmandu.

The former communist guerrillas’ leaders have criticized the attack, saying those involved would be expelled from the political party that the ex-rebels have formed.

Nuwakot’s chief administrative official, Bhanubhakta Pokhrel, said those who launched Thursday’s attack first lodged a false report that there was a homicide in a neighboring village.

When half the policemen in the station left to investigate the report, the group stormed in, beat up the officers still at the post, tied them and fled with at least three guns and an unknown amount of ammunition, Pokhrel said.

Pokhrel said reinforcements were sent to the village and that police were searching the area for the attackers.

Katmandu, Friday, AP