Recent Army Successes Against Maoists

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001507 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL MANILA FOR OFDA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC CASC PINR NP SUBJECT: Recent Army Successes Against Maoists REF: A) Kathmandu 1371, B) Kathmandu 964 and previous ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Fifteen Maoists were killed in Dolakha district August 3 after security forces, acting on a tip, intercepted them making the rounds of a bazaar to collect "donations," a Home Ministry official confirmed. Twelve others were killed August 1 after authorities learned of their plan to destroy a telecommunications repeater tower in a remote area of Dang district. End Summary. Army Shuts Down Maoists on Extortion Rounds -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Fifteen Maoists were killed when security forces clashed with a group of Nepalese Maoists in Dolakha district, about 60 miles northeast of Kathmandu, during the early morning hours of August 3, the district's Chief District Officer (CDO) confirmed to Post. One Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldier was wounded. Acting on a tip, security forces confronted the group of fifteen near Katakuti village as they were making their regular rounds of the market to extort "donations." One of the dead Maoists was reportedly an area commander, a female who went by the name "Chetna." Maoist Attack on Telecom Repeater Foiled -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Also acting on a tip, security forces on August 1 foiled an attempt by another group of fifteen Maoists to destroy a telephone repeater tower in a jungle area of Dang district, about 175 miles west of the capital, Dang's CDO confirmed. Twelve Maoists were killed in the encounter and explosives were recovered from the scene. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The Maoists staged a sustained campaign of attacks on Nepal's infrastructure in April and May (Ref B),but such actions earned them the animus of many villagers--not to mention a lot of bad press--and they have since tapered off. The security forces' success in these incidents suggests that the Maoists have found it increasingly difficult to engage in the types of attacks they formerly committed with impunity (Ref A). Moreover, the security forces seem to have improved their ability to gather information about Maoist movements and put it to good use. End Comment. BOGGS