 Nepal's Maoists have revealed for the first time number of soldiers they have - 36,000 - in remarks published on Tuesday, a week after Kathmandu invited the United Nations to monitor arms of insurgents and the state army. "We are about 36,000 (fighters) in the People's Liberation Army now," Bibidh, a Maoist commander was quoted by the Nepali daily, Kantipur, as saying. "This keeps on changing at the time of fighting." Nepali security officials have estimated rebel strength at around 15,000 combatants versus a government army of 100,000 besides thousands of police. |