Nepal: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2001

Earlier, on January 1, a Maoist insurgent was killed and three persons including a police personnel were injured when three suspected Maoists hurled explosives at a police post in Krairini. The Maoists attackers were also injured in the attack. Read less...

Two Nepali Congress leaders were attacked and robbed by a group of an estimated 25 armed Maoists insurgents on January 1, in Nuwakot. Read less...

Maoist insurgents set off a ‘socket bomb’ near a police post in Kathmandu. No casualties were reported from the incident. Read less...

Maoists insurgents claimed responsibility for the recent bomb attacks at the homes of senior Nepali Congress leaders in Kathmandu. Read less...

Two activists of the ruling Nepali Congress were injured in an attack by Maoist insurgents in Nuwakot on January 2. The insurgents reportedly decamped with money and jewellery after the attack. Read less...

Earlier on January 3, Maoist insurgents attacked a local level leader in Majhkot Village and had set ablaze a small farmer project at Arghatos. Read less...

Earlier, on January 3, police posts were set ablaze by suspected Maoists at Jhapa and Tehrathum villages. Read less...

Reports indicate that Maoist insurgents stepped up their attacks in several districts. The insurgents targeted many police posts, setting some ablaze, and tortured people, including policemen, on January 3. The raids and attacks took place on the Jhapa police and also in Myannglung, Aghakhanchi, Ilam, Chatura and melanchi. Read less...

A news report said that a group of around 50 to 60 Maoist insurgents attacked and looted a village local body office at Dhime in Jajarkot and burnt some documents on January 4. The added that the insurgents, after looting the office, donated the furniture to a local school. The news report claimed that the attackers, who were also involved in an attack on the Panchkula police station in May 2000, are moving freely in the area. Read less...

Reports also indicate that educational institutions, too, have been affected by the insurgency and the Nanikot-based high school, had to be shifted to Mayekot, on the orders of the Maoists. Read less...

Maoist insurgents raided the private residence of a local level leader in Biratmod and took away a weapon besides setting some vehicles on fire in the premises, on January 8. Read less...

Meanwhile, reports indicate that since the beginning of the year 2002, Maoist activities have been on the rise in Parsa, where they had little influence earlier. Nearly six incidents have been reported in this area. Read less...

In a separate development, media commentators and prominent public persons in Nepal, on January 9, have urged journalists to report on the Maoist insurgency with greater care and analysis. Reportage on the insurgency should not be provocative. On the other hand it should foster peace between the insurgents and the government, they said. Read less...

The Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry on January 9 demanded enhanced security at their premises and the private residences of industrialists and businessmen in the wake of arson and attacks by Maoist insurgents. The demand has been made In the wake of an attack in Birgunj in which the insurgents have destroyed goods worth NLR 60 million. Read less...

Three Maoist insurgents were killed and seven others, including three women and a police personnel, were injured in an encounter in Phukut village, Kalikot district, on January 13. Read less...

The Kathmandu Post, on January 14, said the presence of the Royal Nepal Army in Dhankuta, has reduced the influence of Maoists in the district headquarter area. The activities of the insurgents are limited to issuing warning letters, better known as ‘letter bombs’. The report also said the Maoist insurgents are enhancing their organisational base through staging cultural programs and holding training workshops in remote areas. Read less...

In another incident, insurgents exploded a powerful socket bomb at the residence of Minister for Science and Technology Surendra Chaudhary in Sugauli Birta in Parsa district on the same day. However, no casualties were reported. As reported earlier, on December 31, residences of three senior leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress party were attacked in a similar manner. Read less...

Meanwhile, Kathmandu Post, on January 16, cited several officials as saying, during a 'National Symposium on Maoist Movement in Nepal' that the establishment of Armed Police Force (AFP) would not be very successful in tackling the Maoist insurgency that began five years ago. Govinda Kushum Thapa, Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce is reported as saying that "Neither the army mobilization nor the formation of APF will help solve the Maoist problem," and "The problem should be resolved through bilateral dialogue, which is the only solution". Also cited in the report is a Superintendent of Police, Chunda Bahadur Shrestha, who maintained that the use of force would solve only 10-20 per cent of the problem. The Police official identified the reasons for the escalation in insurgency as "… failed governance and police machinery…" A social scientist, Anand Aditya is quoted as estimating that 469 people were killed in insurgency related incidents in 1999 as compared to the 409 killed in 1998. Read less...

Three police personnel were injured in an ambush laid by Maoist insurgents at Dolkha on January 16. Read less...

Police claimed to have arrested two suspected agents of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Maharajgang district, on January 17. Police said, they were attempting to cross over into India from Nepal Read less...

The four Maoist insurgents-hit districts would be visited by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to make an assessment of the effects of insurgency, the NHRC announced on January 17 It is believed that the NHRC had consulted with various mainstream political parties, advocates and high-ranking government officials, prior to this decision. Read less...

According to delayed reports, one person was killed and two others injured in a bomb attack by the Maoists on January 18, in Gaur. Read less...

One person was killed and two others abducted by Maoist insurgents on January 19, in Sindupalchowk. Read less...

Maoist insurgents demanded a ransom of a rifle or NPR 200,000 for the release of a priest they had abducted in December 2000. Read less...

According to delayed reports three persons have been released on January 23 by the Maoist insurgents at a village in Kalikot district. Read less...

In another incident, Maoist insurgents attacked a newly built police post in Tripurakot, Dolpa district, western Nepal, on January 24, a delayed report stated. No casualties were reported in the attack. However, the insurgents decamped with some weapons. Read less...

In another incident, Maoist insurgents engaged the police in a gun battle in the neighbouring Rolpa district, also on January 24. Read less...

Separately, an Indian citizen was arrested by police on the suspicion that he was selling arms to the Maoist insurgents. Read less...

A policeman was killed by Maoist insurgents in a gun battle Dhanauti village, western Nepal, on January 25. Besides, reports stated that the insurgents might attack American citizens and organisations. The United State Department reportedly warned its diplomatic staff based in Nepal to be vigilant. Read less...

According to delayed reports, an activist of the ruling Nepali Congress was killed by Maoist insurgents in Jajarkot district, on January 26. Read less...

Reports from Damauli said police apprehended two senior Maoist insurgents and seized some explosives from them, on January 26, near Bandipur bazar. The arrested insurgents have been identified as Keshav Raj Singh -- believed to be local commander and Padam Bahadur Rana. The seized arms included four detonators, two socket bombs and some extremist literature. Read less...

The inaugural function of a free health camp and a population control camp, scheduled to start on January 29, was disrupted by the Maoists insurgents in Simli. Pro-Maoist workers obstructed the health workers from launching the camp. The health camp was being organised in the memory of the late Yadu Gautam, who was shot dead by the Maoists insurgents in 1998. Read less...

According to press reports on January 31 from Bakne, police in Nepal are on a high alert in insurgency-hit areas as the Maoist insurgency enters into its sixth year. Amar Singh Shah, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) at the Mid-Western Regional Police Office said on January 31,"Maoists seem to be prepared for their sixth anniversary in some districts. The government and our organisation are well-prepared for defending against any attacks." Read less...