Over 1,600 former fighters released in Nepal

NEPAL: The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M) on Tuesday signed a declaration announcing it had formally freed the remaining 1,614 disqualified combatants.

Addressing the ceremony, chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Karin Landgren said the signing marks another significant step in the peace process as it fulfills an obligation contained in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by the government and the UCPN-M in 2006. "It also means the severing of all ties between the Maoist army and those disqualified - as minors- who can now freely undertake the transition from military to civilian life," added Landgren.

UCPN-M have declared the discharge of all 4,008 individuals including 2,908 minors registered by UNMIN during the verification process that completed in December 2007. KATHMANDU, Wednesday, Xinhua