Rekha Shrestha

Underground Maoist rebels recently launched fiercest attacks at different security installations in remote hilly districts of Myangdi and Bhojpur. The attacks have been dubbed as the Maoists’ “show of military strength” because the insurgents wanted to prove that they were developing into a significant armed force capable enough of raising war against the army of the “old regime.” But the cruel rebel raids ended not only killing those armed but also innocent civilians besides destroying development infrastructure worth millions of rupees. What is the rationale behind such a “victory”?

It was the eve of Holi. The rebels stormed into the Bhojpur district headquarters and not beautiful colours but human blood was shed to mark the festival. Somehow, the forces had information about the concentration of armed-element approaching them. The Maoists wiped off troops guarding repeater station of Nepal Telecommunication Corporation before destroying the tower completely.

Beni’s case is different. March 20 will be remembered for the most violent and conventional kind of Maoist attack at the district headquarter of Myagdi. Thousands of militants of the ‘people’s army’ — armed with modern small arms like M-16 assault Rifles, AK 47 and Self Loading Rifles (SLR) and area weapon, 81mm mortars — climbed the surrounding hills of Arthungedanda and Jyamirkotdanda overlooking Beni bazaar without alerting the security forces. Led by the Maoist Western Division commander Nanda Kishor Pun alias Pasang,

the fighters continued battling till the next morning because their aim was to capture Beni at least for three days, but they could not sustain in the face of the strength of modernised Royal Nepalese Army.

Maoists might have targeted Beni for various reasons: the army barrack is strategically vulnerable in terms of location, and the engineers of Kali Prasad battalion posted there are lightly armed as their main job is the construction of the Beni-Jomsom road. The army were guarding Rs 60 million of Nepal Rastriya Bank and plenty of explosives for their work.

A videocassette seized by the army revealed that the Maoists had done their detailed planning by using a “town model” to brief their young fighters. However, unlike in Bhojpur, the rebels in Beni failed to achieve their real goal. They did successfully captured some modern small arms, overran district police and other government buildings before abducting three dozen policemen including District Superintendent of Police and Chief District Officer.

Encouraged by the ‘success’ in Bhojpur, the rebels could have attacked Beni to prove their skills and enhanced military tactics further. But what will they do next after their failure in Beni?

Military analysts expect yet another rebel surprise soon. This the rebels would do in order to divert security forces’ concentration from the Maoists retreating from Beni but trapped by the security forces.Such frequent raids, analysts argue, is not rebels’ “enhanced strength.” It does not mean that the Maoists have been neutralised either. Perhaps Beni is an acid test for the rebels’ military capability in conventional warfare.