War in Nepal: Basic Information War in Nepal: Older information People's sorrows, people's fears

2,178 died in post-ceasefire break period (January 2004 - Source RNA) After the ceasefire broke on August 27, 2003 nearly 2178 people have been killed in six month since the break of ceasefire in August 2003, the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) said, adding, "1534 of them were Maoists." During this period, 160 policemen, 147 Royal Nepalese Army soldiers and 58 Armed Police Force officials have been killed. A Maoist battalion in eastern Nepal The Sangram battalion has a total of 358 guerrillas split into three companies. This battalion has not been able to deploy an adequate number of forces as per the decision of the divisional headquarters within the eastern command.

Guerrillas were sent from other districts to join the battalion. According to a RNA report, the battalion had to provide Rs 100 to each guerrilla member a month.

According to RNA sources there are between 2,000 and 4,000 well-trained Maoist fighters, known as the movement's "hard core". Another 12,000-14,000 so called "militia" fight alongside them. These include recent recruits - some of them young women - largely in their teens. They carry antiquated .303 rifles looted from police stations. Some of the elite fighters use submachine guns and more modern rifles, stolen from the army.

219 army personnel have lost their lives since the rebels launched a sudden raid on an army garrison-cum-armoury in Dang on the night of November 23, 2001, according to figures made available by the RNA. While the nearly seven-year-old insurgency has claimed the lives of about 8,000 Nepali people, 7,000 of them being Maoist rebels, according to the latest figures made available by the Home Ministry. Over 4,000 of the rebels were killed within a span of less than a year.

About 50,000 Royal Nepal Army soldiers - some equipped with American-made M16s, others with Belgian FNFAL .762 mm rifles - oppose the Maoist forces. At least half of that force is not directly fighting rebels, but carrying out other duties. Nepal's army has several helicopters and a single fixed-wing aircraft. The United States and Great Britain are providing training and other military aid.

The 50,000-strong army has upgraded its strength to 55,000, and it is in the process of recruiting 5,000 more, besides hiring ex-RNA soldiers on a contract basis. The RNA has already set up a separate division in western Nepal, and it is in the process of creating two more in eastern and central Nepal.