Province No. 1 (NA): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2003

Nearly two months after assuming office, the government led by Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chandra has, for the first time, sent a formal letter to the Maoist insurgents to hold peace talks. Speaking to media persons in Biratnagar on January 3, Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Narayan Singh Pun, said, " A human right activist is trying to broker talks. A formal letter has been sent to the Maoists on the government’s behalf". The government had earlier dismissed the Maoist’s offer of talks expressed through newspaper statements and instead had asked them to offer direct talks. Read less...

Maoist insurgents shot dead a teacher near Taplugunj after abducting him earlier. His body was recovered on January 6, report said. Meanwhile, reports said pro-Maoist insurgents-student body ANNFSU-Revolutionary treasurer Sunita Sharma surrendered to the authorities in Parbat, on January 5. Read less...

To exert pressure on Nepal and Bhutan to expedite the process of repatriation, a total of 116 Bhutanese refugees, including 68 women, have begun an indefinite strike on January 7, at the Khundanbari refugee camp in Jhapa. About a year ago, 12,000 refugees were identified at this camp, which is one of the seven refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts. The refugees are demanding publication of results of joint Bhutan––Nepal verification exercise on the status of refugees, early repatriation and commencing the verification process at the six remaining camps in Jhapa and Morang. Read less...

Yet another report said a police constable being held hostage was set free by security force personnel. No details were available, though. Also, a civilian was killed in Okhaldungha, on January 7. There were no details available on this incident, too. Read less...

On January 9, the insurgents shot dead a former policeman in Bidur, Siraha district and injured a civilian in Chulachuli village, Ilam, on January 8, reports added. Read less...

Other reports said, on January 8 the insurgents set free two activists of the Communist Party of Nepal––Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), who they had abducted earlier, in Bhojpur Read less...

Security forces shot dead a Maoist insurgent, on January 9, in Amarpur, Panchthar. Also, a landmine was defused in Kahu, Jumla, on the same day. Read less...

On January 11, the insurgents abducted six activists of the Communist Party of Nepal––Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), including former Member of Parliament Dhanharka Rai from a public meeting in Ghoretar, Bhojur district, eastern Nepal, reports said. In a similar incident, another CPN-UML cadre was abducted in Ramecchap district. Read less...

Besides, the insurgents laid an ambush and injured four policemen, one of them grievously, in Lilakharka, Taplejung district, on January 12, reports said. Separately, the insurgents set-off a landmine-blast the near district headquarters town of Manthali in Ramechap, but there were no casualties nor was anyone injured. Also, security forces defused pressure cooker bombs planted near the district headquarters. Also on the same day, the insurgents set-off two bombs and opened fire at a meting of the Communist Party of Nepal––Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), in Huruwa, Dang district, injuring an activist. Another activist of the party was killed in Sakhuwasabha village, Rautahat district, on the same day. Read less...

Media reports said a girl child was killed and four others wounded in the crossfire between Maoist insurgents and police, in Dingla, Bhojpur, on January 12. Separately, on January 12, a woman Maoist insurgent was shot dead in Thapre, Rasuwa district. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the clash-site. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said, on January 12, security forces shot dead eight Maoist insurgents in retaliatory firing in five districts––Palpa, Jumla, Dhading and two other districts. The Ministry did not mention the names of the two other districts, not the dates of the killings. Also, NR 4,000 in cash, and an unspecified quantity of explosives, socket bombs, sleeping bags, spares, documents and logistics support were recovered from the clash-sites. Separately, receipts, logistics support, spares arms and ammunition and guns were recovered in search operations in Dang, Rolpa, Sankhuwasabha and Jumla, the Ministry said. Read less...

Yet another report said the insurgents, on January 12, set free two of the six UML activists they had abducted in Bhojpur, a day earlier. The whereabouts of four others, including a former Member of Parliament, are yet not known. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said, on January 15, security forces have shot dead at least 11 Maoist insurgents in operations in different parts of Nepal. Troops of the Royal Nepal Army shot dead four insurgents in Doti, Rukum and Banke districts. Five more were killed in Kanchanpur, while two insurgents were killed in clashes reported in Khotang. Besides, the Army recovered Rs.85, 865 in Nepali currency and Rs.4, 650 in Indian currency in Sindhuli, in a search operation on January 14. Read less...

The Army rescued an abducted policeman in Taplejung. Meanwhile, the insurgents, on January 13, abducted an armed policeman who came home on leave in Kavre. Another report said a group of insurgents, on January 15, shot dead a civilian in Rajpur, Rautahat, reports said. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said, on January 18, SFs shot dead 14 insurgents in operations in several places, including in Bhojpur, Kanchanpur, Surkhet and Khotang. Of these, at least seven insurgents were killed and seven more injured in a shoot-out in Khotang, on January 15, the Ministry announced, but gave no details of the remaining seven casualties. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said, on January 19, security forces shot dead four Maoist insurgents in operations in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Salyan, on January 18 and 19. The Ministry also said, on January 18, at least five insurgents were killed during operations in Humla, Taplejung and Ilam Read less...

Reports of January 19 said the insurgents have set free Communist Party of Nepal––Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) former Member of Parliament Dhana Harka Rai, and three more activists, who they had abducted in Ghodetar bazar, in Bhojpur district, from a public meeting. Read less...

Another report said the insurgents, on January 20, set free policewoman Sudha Rana who they had two days earlier from her home near Mahendranagar, far-west Nepal. Also, a restaurant owner the insurgents had abducted earlier has been set free. Separately, the insurgents, on January 20, set free Communist Party of Nepal––Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) activist Deepak Bhudathoki, of Chanuwa village, Dhankuta district, after holding him captive for less than a day. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said a soldier of the Royal Nepal Army was killed and five more were wounded in a land mine blast set off by the Maoist insurgents in Solokhumbu, on January 20. In the encounter that followed troops killed two Maoist insurgents. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said security forces, on January 20, shot dead two Maoist insurgents in retaliatory firing in Okhaldungha district. Also some arms and socket bombs were recovered from the incident-site. Read less...

Media reports from Nepal said Maoist insurgents laid an ambush and killed a policeman, besides injuring two others near Khalangha bazzar, in Jumla district, on January 22. On the same day, the insurgents injured a soldier of the Royal Nepal Army, in Solokhumbu. Also, a pressure cooker bomb and 17 pressure cookers were recovered from the incident-site. Further, NR 11, 540 and INR 1,400 were recovered in Okhaldungha, on January 21. Meanwhile, another report said local residents surrendered five guns to security force personnel in Banke. Read less...

The insurgents, on January 21, killed two civilians in Kharle and Dhiktel respectively. Read less...

A delayed report said Maoists on January 23-night killed one police personnel at the Chamaita villager of Ilam district. Read less...

The Defence Ministry said, on January 28, security forces shot dead eight Maoist insurgents in operations in Kanchanpur, Pyuthan and Nuwakot districts. Among them, six were shot dead in Kanchanpur, including the Suda area committee member. One insurgent each was killed in Pyuthan and Nuwakot. Also, six 303 rifles were recovered in searches in Tapalejung. Read less...