This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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