British soldiers abducted in Nepal
Things have taken a turn for the worse in Nepal with the news that five British Army officials have been abducted by suspected Maoist guerrillas.
The Times reports that the men, one of whom was escorting the television star Michael Palin around the country, were the first foreigners to be held since the Maoists began their insurgence in 1996. A researcher with the BBC crew, who were filming Palin’s new series Himalaya, said that the five were approached on Sunday night, by a group of unarmed men in the village of Lekhani, 180 miles west of Kathmanu.
He reportedly told The Times: “It was all very civilised. The Maoists were really polite and asked if the British officer would mind coming for a chat with their leaders, two hours’ walk away. And off they went.”
Recent weeks have seen a new turn in the ongoing troubles in Nepal. In August, Maoist guerrillas broke the latest ceasefire; some 200 were killed last week alone and the total number killed since the fighting began is more than 7,500.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, at www.fco.gov.uk/travel, states: “A small team from British Gurkhas Nepal who were in the Baglung District have been out of contact since the evening of 19 October. We are treating their disappearance seriously. You should exercise extreme caution if travelling to this district. This advice will be kept under close review.”
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