Chitwan, January 15:

A five-member UN team arrived at Shaktikhor in eastern Chitwan today with logistics required to monitor weapons of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army and certify them. The team headed by arms expert General Eric Wilshamson arrived at 12:50 pm at Shaktikhor, where the third division of the Maoist PLA is based. The team returned to Kathmandu after three hours of discussion with PLA officers.

UN representative Kiran said talks between the two sides had been held and the arms management and certifying of the Maoist PLA soldiers will begin from Thursday.

The team brought with it all required logistics including tents, a generator and kitchen utensils. According to the information provided by the team, the logistics will be delivered to the fourth division of the PLA in Nawalparasi tomorrow.

Earlier, a five-member UN team had noted the arms management site in the cantonment and all processes with regard to registration before leaving for Nawalparasi, said secretary of the PLA’s third division, Abiral. Two UN representatives and 14 Gorkha ex-army men will regularly monitor the cantonment, he added.

Altogether, 6,500 Maoist PLAs are living in the main cantonment site on Udayapur Hill in Chitwan’s Shaktikhor and other sub-cantonment sites.