EFL from BBC
At least one British army officer is among five people reportedly abducted by Maoist rebels in Nepal. The group were part of a mission to recruit Gurkhas in a remote region northwest of the capital, Kathmandu. Nepalese soldiers were also missing, Baglung district’s most senior official said. More than 8,000 people have died since Maoist guerrillas began an armed struggle to rid Nepal of its monarchy in 1996, the authorities say. However, this is believed to be the first time the Maoists have kidnapped foreign nationals. A Ministry of Defence spokesman in London could not confirm the officer had been kidnapped, but told the BBC they had lost contact on Sunday night with a team that was observing the recruitment of Gurkhas. The British Army has been recruiting Nepalese men to fight in its Gurkha brigade for nearly 200 years. Competition is fierce to join the brigade, which has a reputation for fierce bravery, endurance and loyalty.
Did you ever notice that Maoist seem to be awfully poor here lately. They are kidnapping for cash all over the world. Something about their system doesn’t seem to generate cash flow. Can’t put my finger on it. |