BBC Saturday, 7 July, 2001, 11:29 GMT 12:29 UK Dozens killed in Nepal clashes

Rebels often target the police force At least 40 policemen have been killed and others seriously wounded in series of clashes with Maoist rebels in Nepal, officials say.

In one incident, a large group of rebels attacked a police checkpoint in Lamjung district 190km (120 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu.

A local official was quoted as saying that in the ensuing two-hour gun battle 22 policemen were killed.

Correspondents say these are the most serious rebel attacks since Nepal was thrown into turmoil last month when most of the royal family - including the king - were shot dead in the royal palace in Kathmandu.

The rebels have publicly criticised the findings of the inquiry - which quoted numerous witnesses as saying that Crown Prince Dipendra had carried out the killings before shooting himself - as a whitewash.

The Maoists insist that the palace massacre was the result of a larger national and international conspiracy.

Commentators say this is an attempt to capitalise on divided Nepalese public opinion as to who was responsible for the murders.

The rebels have denounced the new King Gyanendra who they dismiss as a "puppet of neighbouring India and America's CIA".

Seriously injured

In another incident, at least nine officers died after rebels overran their police station in Nuwukot district, 90km (56 miles) west of Kathmandu.

A number of seriously injured men have reportedly been flown to hospital in the town of Pokhara, north west of the town.

Elsewhere, at least three policemen were killed in Gulmi, 270km (186 miles) south west of the capital. But many more officers are unaccounted for.

"There were about 31 policemen at the station at the time of the attack, only four of them have safely reached the district headquarters, and the whereabouts of others are still unknown," Gokarna Bista, a local politician told the Associated Press news agency.

The rebels are also suspected of carrying out a bomb attack on the home of Prime Minister Girirja Prasad Koirala on Wednesday.

No one was injured in the blast.

Rebel demands

The Maoists have also stepped up their attacks in protest at tough new security laws aimed at anyone the government perceives to be a threat to national security.

The rebels are fighting to establish a "people's republic" in Nepal and demand land reform, an end to close ties with India, no more foreign aid and no role for the monarchy.

They usually target Nepal's badly trained and poorly paid police force in an attempt to further undermine already low morale.

More than 1,600 people have been killed since the rebels began their insurgency in 1996.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2001