MAOISTS ATTACK OUTPOSTS IN ROLPA AND SANKHUWASABHA

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000906

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SA/INS
LONDON FOR POL - RIEDEL
NSC FOR HARRY THOMAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER MCAP PGOV NP
SUBJECT: MAOISTS ATTACK OUTPOSTS IN ROLPA AND SANKHUWASABHA

REF: A. (A) KATHMANDU 787


B. (B) KATHMANDU 872

C. (C) KATHMANDU 882


1. (SBU) Summary: On the night of May 7 Maoist insurgents
attacked a combined Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and police outpost
in Gam, Rolpa in western Nepal. The attack in Rolpa follows
the RNA's routing of a Maoist camp at another location in the
same district (Refs B and C). The RNA has lost contact with
the soldiers under attack in Gam, and helicopters sent to the
site have been unable to land. In addition, at least four
APF and 14 Maoists were killed in an attack on an Armed
Police Force (AFP) base camp in Sankhuwasabha in the
northeast. End summary.


2. (SBU) At about 11:00 p.m. on May 7 Maoist insurgents
attacked a combined company of security forces: one platoon
of about 70 Royal Nepal Army (RNA) soldiers and two platoons
of mixed regular and Armed Police Force (APF) police,
commanded by an RNA major, in a temporary deployment position
in Gam, Rolpa. (Note: Gam is about 30 KM northeast of Lisne
Lek, where the RNA had engaged Maoists at a training camp May
1-5. End note.) At the time of the attack, 40 of the RNA
soldiers at the camp, along with 20 policemen, were deployed
out in blocking positions to cut off Maoists escaping from
the RNA attack on the training camp at Lisne Lek (Refs B and
C),leaving the RNA platoon at less than half its normal
strength. The division subsequently lost radio
communications with the outpost. As of mid-day May 8, bad
weather and smoke had obstructed attempts to fly helicopters
to the site.


3. (SBU) Because of the communications black-out, the RNA
is unable to confirm the number of casualties. In general,
however, RNA sources contacted were not optimistic. There
have also been unconfirmed reports of smoke coming from the
village of Gam, raising some fears that the Maoists may have
exacted revenge on villagers.


4. (SBU) Just before midnight April 8 Maoists also attacked
an Armed Police Force (APF) base camp at Chainpur,
Sankhuwasabha in northeastern Nepal. Fighting continued
until 3:00 a.m. Casualties reported thus far amount to 4 APF
and 14 Maoists killed.


5. (SBU) Comment: Gam, which Embassy DATT visited May 1, is
one of several towns "liberated" by the RNA from Maoist
control and subsequently garrisoned by combined
RNA/police/APF (Ref A). In the heart of Maoist
territory--where Maoists launched their first attack on
police six years ago--these garrison towns are a direct
challenge to the insurgents right in their own neighborhood.
The RNA has thus been expecting attacks on the towns for some
time; the insurgents surprised at the Lisne Lek camp (Refs A
and B) were believed to have been massing for just such an
attack. It seems unlikely that the attack on Gam could have
been staged from Lisne Lek, although the Army admits a number
of insurgents were able to escape from the area with their
weapons. The attack on Gam raises the possibility of other
staging/training camps in the area besides the one discovered
by the RNA.
MALINOWSKI