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| Sunday, 27 February 2005 |
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Rebels attack state-run TV station KATHMANDU (AFP) - Hundreds of suspected Maoist rebels attacked a state-run Nepalese TV station, halting broadcasts to the country's southwest, officials said Saturday. The rebels stormed the Nepal Television (NTV) station at Kohalpur near Nepalgunj town in Banke district, about 500 kilometres southwest of here, at about 11:00pm on Thursday, setting fire to its offices, a security source said. The suspected Maoists then looted seven video cameras and video sets and other equipment from the station. Nobody was injured in the attack but the stations broadcasts to middle and far western Nepal were suspended for an indefinite period due to the damage caused, said the source, who wanted to remain anonymous. "For nearly two hours, some four dozen Maoists carried away the equipment from the station," the source said quoting station staff. "The loss has been estimated to be around 60 million rupees (845,070 dollars)," the source said. Prior to attacking the TV station, the rebels had first diverted the attention of security forces by attacking the army and Armed Police Force barracks. "The rebels had first stormed into the station by destroying the main gate then looted equipment from the storeroom and burnt important documents," an English daily, the Kathmandu Post said. "They also plundered the employees quarters, according to station employees," it said. The attack on the station came as at least three dozen Maoists were believed to have been killed in clashes with government troops in western Kailali district between Thursday and Friday. The rebels, who had also bombed the TV station in 1997, have been targetting government-owned institutions and infrastructure across the country as part of their fight for a communist republic in Nepal The uprising has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996. |
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